


Autumn Thorn

by LittleMissSyreid



Series: Autumn Thorn [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Blood, Canon Related, F/M, Interrogation, Kidnapping, Memory Loss, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character Death(s), Post-Canon, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-13 07:50:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 41,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4513893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissSyreid/pseuds/LittleMissSyreid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a woman rescues Bucky from his imprisonment as the Winter Soldier, he seeks Steve Rogers' help to cope. However, HYDRA is not to be underestimated and quickly enforces a new recruit to take the Winter Soldier's place...<br/>Based during and after the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely sure whether I want this to be a Bucky x Reader or a Bucky x OC yet so I've kept the first chapter vague enough that it could go either way. Let me know what you think and I'll have a think in time for the next chapter. A reader insert would be a more difficult story to write I think and wouldn't be as effective but I'm open to suggestion.

Devin May was loyal and hardworking and efficient. Every task set before him was completed with as much speed and precision as could be conjured. Devin May devoted himself to those he was loyal to and the causes that they fought for; his talent was duly rewarded with a promotion.

Devin May was assigned to guard the Winter Soldier.

May’s father had been of HYDRA, as had his father before him and his father before him. Thus it was only right that he should take their place. His dedicated allegiance had been rewarded with a higher responsibility role that in turn bestowed him with a better house, fresher food on his table, and enough money to send his 12 year old daughter to the summer camp she’d been talking about for some weeks now. Life was good.

The Winter Soldier lay in the chair all too casually for Devin May’s liking; he believed a soldier should be alert and to attention at all times. A man in a white coat and gloves fixed the damage on the man’s arm as had been inflicted by Captain America’s shield. Even the thought of encountering the legendary figure made Devin May’s stomach churn. But the Winter Soldier was designed to take it – and that he had.

The brunette stared forward blankly as the work was completed, gazing out into the silver plated room with eyes that could have been equally as drained of emotion as they were full. Devin May had a burning desire to discover the secrets and thoughts that lay behind those eyes. He had only been allowed a glimpse of the Winter Soldier’s file by way of induction for the job, but the mysteries that possibly lay deeper made May’s inner cat purr with curiosity.

Suddenly, the Winter Soldier turned. The men in white coats were knocked from their seats and flung across the room, skulls hitting metal and concrete with horrifying cracks. Devin May instantly pulled the gun at his side up and loaded it. Clicks reverberated around the room as his colleagues did the same. There were only three other guards in the room with Devin May – an alarmingly small number of personnel to guard someone so volatile. Yet May knew that the fewer people aware of the Winter Soldier’s existence, the better.

One of the other guards was William Casey, an older gentleman of 48. He was trigger happy and had a short temper – a lethal combination for anyone ‘blessed’ to work alongside him. May had often noticed how Casey’s bushy moustache quivered with rage when riled up. The other guard was Mario Cardona. The Spaniard wore a black bandana over his lips on account of the vicious scars that resided there. Every time he was asked, the story behind them changed. From a dog bite to a bar fight, nobody knew the true tale. Devin May liked Mario. He’d often be the one toying with Casey’s fiery temper, which was an amusing spectacle to see.

The other guard in the room also wore a bandana over his mouth, though he coupled it with a black baseball cap and shades, concealing his face entirely. Devin May did not know this guard and that concerned him. However, the guard’s gun was also pointed at the Winter Soldier and that gave him all the trust he needed, just for that moment.

The Winter Soldier’s arms were still for now, only shifting slightly with every ragged breath that he took. Despite his stillness, Devin May took no comfort from the situation – the man was unlike anything he’d ever seen and could move rapidly. Stillness meant nothing. Whatever memory he’d been reliving, it had been horrendous, causing the violent outburst. A voice from outside the room began to speak.    
“Sir?” There was small pause as the sound of footsteps approached.  
“He’s… He’s unstable.” That was putting it lightly, May thought. “Erratic.”

The barred door opened and Alexander Pierce walked in. Devin May had only met him twice – once when he was hired and a second time during a visit similar to this one. He kept his gun focused on the Winter Soldier until Mr Pierce signalled otherwise. Against his better judgement, Devin May lowered the barrel of the gun.

“Mission report.” Pierce demanded in a calm, commanding tone. If anyone deserved to be the leader of HYDRA on voice alone, it was Alexander Pierce. He reeked authority and power. From the sharp suit to the brooding and calculative expression, you needn’t be a genius to see that Alexander Pierce was one. The Winter Soldier ignored the order and stared forward emptily. _Poor bastard,_ Devin May thought.  
“Mission report, now.” Pierce said again. The Winter Soldier didn’t move so Pierce stepped forward and leaned in. A brutal slap on the cheek elicited a small grunt from the Soldier’s lips. When he turned back to face his superior, his movements were slow and his hair was dramatically flayed over his face.

“The man on the bridge…” The Winter Soldier said with a low voice and face pained with confusion – the spectacle never failed to make Devin May anxious.  
“Who was he?”  
“You met him earlier this week on another assignment.” Pierce said. May watched on and listened, emotionless and detached.  
“I knew him.” The Winter Soldier said. The suited man pulled up a seat and looked at him. Pierce was adept at conveying things through his eyes and also had the talent to ensure that only his intended audience was able to translate that message. Devin May was not that audience.    
“Your work has been a gift to mankind. You shaped the century and I need you to do it one more time. Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos and tomorrow morning we’re going to give it a push.” The man known as Agent Rumlow, a mole in SHIELD’s S.T.R.I.K.E. team, watched on with an interesting expression. It was a mixture between pity, curiosity and intense intimidation. Agent Rumlow was someone not to get on the bad side of.

The Winter Soldier continued to listen to Pierce – out of fear or obedience it was uncertain though in HYDRA there was a very fine line between the two.  
“But, you don’t do your part, I can’t do mine. And HYDRA can’t give the world the freedom it deserves.” For a minute, it looked like the Winter Soldier was physically chewing over the information he’d been given. Based on his knowledge of Pierce and Rumlow, Devin May knew that it would be in the man’s best interests to agree and move on. However, judging by the angle at which he tilted his head and the expression in his eyes, the Winter Soldier did not plan on doing that.  
“But I _knew_ him.” He insisted, giving a brief smile that pleaded for the understanding May knew he wouldn’t get.

Pierce sighed softly and stood. The Winter Soldier nodded a couple of times as if he’d expected the reaction.  
“Prep him.”  
“He’s been out of cryo-freeze too long.” A man in a bow tie said. The Winter Soldier’s face was sullen and on the brink of tears, yet he made no protests as Pierce continued to dish out orders.  
“Then wipe him, and start over.”

The man in the bow tie stepped forward and, with the help of a colleague in a baby blue shirt, pushed the Winter Soldier back. He placed a gum shield into his mouth. At the touch of a button, the machine on which he sat grasped his arms with metal cuffs. It then whirred into life. Two metal plates fell aside the Winter Soldier’s head. Devin May could see the sparks of electricity that flickered on them and so bit the inside of his cheek in preparation. He closed his eyes as the Winter Soldier began to scream.

Rumlow and Pierce made to leave, along with a few of the other assorted men they’d arrived with. The only people who would be left in the room were the man in the bow tie, the Winter Soldier, and the guards. May noticed that Cardona’s hand was on his gun and even William Casey had raised his gun again. Like him they feared that somehow the Winter Soldier might break free. The barred door opened and allowed Alexander Pierce through, shutting afterwards with a metallic clank.

And that was when Devin May died.

A bullet can travel faster than 3200 feet per second. When it reaches a person, it has to break through hair, skin and muscle before reaching the skull. The metal pierces tissue and membrane before plunging into the cerebrospinal fluid. It tears, stretches, splits and breaks the muscle tissues, ruptures blood vessels, before, in some cases, exiting through the other side of the head, all in barely any time at all. Devin May died in 0.009 seconds.

The masked guard pulled up their gun and made four shots – one into Devin May’s temple, one into Mario Cardona’s throat and two into William Casey’s chest. The man in the bow tie reacted quickly, scurrying to the corner of the room he was closest too, balling up on the floor and holding his quivering hands up. The Winter Soldier continued to shriek and was too focused on the pain to notice what was happening around him. The masked guard nimbly hopped over the corpses that littered the floor and pressed the barrel of the gun against the scientist’s brow. With his head, the guard gestured to the machine.

The man in the bow tie crawled across the floor, followed by the gun and the guard, and flicked a switch. Immediately, the screams of the Winter Soldier subsided and were replaced with the sounds of panting and sighing, though he was a little confused as to why the torment had ended prematurely. Another button removed the cuffs from the Winter Soldier’s arms with a sharp hiss. The man in the bow tie then turned around and begged his captor.  
“P-p-please don’t-” The guard shot the man in the bow tie, his body flying back a little way. The Winter Soldier continued to pant but the sound of the shot had drawn his attention now. He hurt all over and consequently refrained from moving. He resorted to watching his ‘saviour’ instead.

The guard worked quickly. He dragged all of the bodies to the other side of the room, out of the view of the door, and piled them up. The guard then turned and examined the floor, attaching some of the dropped weapons to his own utility belt. Once more turning to the pile of bodies again, he pulled a cotton shirt from one of the corpses, tossing a bow tie aside in the process. The guard then turned and straightened his posture, keeping his face level. The Winter Soldier knew – through the sunglasses, the guard was looking at him. He stared back, both defensively and curiously. After a minute, the guard began to cautiously approach, placing one foot slowly in front of the other as though he were walking on a tightrope.    
“James Barnes?” The voice asking was feminine, a surprising turn of events. The Winter Soldier remained still; he didn’t know anyone by the name of James Barnes.

The woman knelt in front of the Winter Soldier and pulled down the bandana that had covered her face. She continued to wear her cap and shades.  
“Are you, or are you not, James Buchanan Barnes?” She asked again, embellishing her enunciation. Hesitantly, the Winter Soldier shook his head. The woman pouted and exhaled through her nose. Now her questions were impatiently asked.    
“James Barnes? No? Bucky Barnes? Not ringin’ any bells?” _Bucky._ That was the name that the man on the bridge had called him. Cogs gradually began to whir and grind in his head, causing him to nod tentatively.  
“I thought so.”

She smiled, revealing a string of white teeth. Standing up, she tossed the blue shirt into Bucky’s lap.  
“Put the shirt on Barnes - I’m bustin’ you out of here.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winter Soldier is helped to escape and a little is revealed as to the story of the woman helping him.

The smell of blood stained the air in the apartment. Bodies lay left, right, and centre and Agent Thorn’s nose stung with the stench. Her hoodie and jeans were smeared in the fluids of the corpses around her, and the gun in her hand was still hot. She holstered it in an attempt to forget the fact that it had been recently used. The attack had come thick and fast. Thorn didn’t even have time to figure out who she was fighting before she was forced to defend herself from them. She could’ve sworn that her team had been fighting each other but that didn’t make sense. Nor did it matter anymore. She was the only one left now.

Walking forwards unsteadily, her eyes came across one of the agents she’d been working alongside – he was alive but barely breathing. Kneeling down, she tried to block the blood that was flowing freely from his chest.  
“Granger… Granger, look at me. Talk to me.” She demanded as his blood drenched her fingers. Despite the sickening squelch, Thorn pushed her hand against his chest with more pressure.  
“H… H…” He panted, each breath heavy and lethargic. When Granger began to smile, she felt a hopeful – maybe he would survive – but his eyes were too wide and psychotic, the smile unfurling on his lips like a hunting cat’s tail.  
“H-Hail… HYDRA…” He said with a deep voice. Thorn’s brow furrowed with disbelief and confusion, Granger snickering at the sight. His laugh then progressed, becoming throatier and more crazed. He threw his head back and cackled psychotically, blood spurting from his mouth at the same time.

Thorn stood up with a spinning head.  
“Hail HYDRA!” Granger shrieked again, his voice shrill and frightening. Thorn shook her head a few times and then slowly pulled her gun from its holster once more. She pulled the trigger but missed her target on account of her shaking hand, lodging the bullet in Granger’s throat rather than his head. His laugh quickly became something more sinister as he spluttered and gargled. Soon he had stilled, the lunatic grin still plastered on his face. Thorn was once again able to focus on the situation.

HYDRA? That was impossible. The stench became unbearable, and when coupled with the pooling blood on the carpet, Thorn felt herself heave. She vomited twice at her feet and, though it was horrid, it smelt better than the perfume of death surrounding her.  
“Pull yourself together…” She muttered harshly, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. “You’ve got a job to do.”

Agent Thorn stood up straight and tall, shaking her hands a couple of times therapeutically. She approached the telescope that was set up by the window and placed her eye against it. The old bank facility loomed over the encompassing road but the windows were still dim and the doors still shut. Whilst everything was quieter, however, she picked up on a loudening sound that was ascending towards the front door of the apartment. Footsteps.

Thorn evaluated the situation. Something was definitely not right – HYDRA was here and for whatever reason, they wanted her and her team dead. The explanation likely lay in the bank that the telescope faced and so long as they presumed Thorn dead, she had the element of surprise. As the handle on the door began to jostle, Thorn found herself clambering out of the window. She grabbed the top of the frame and hoisted herself up with difficulty but precision. Her feet scrambled against the brick but eventually Thorn had made it onto the top of the roof. She dropped to her knees and pressed her ear against the roof. The voices were muffled but their tone sounded authoritative and proud. Thorn nimbly crept across the roof and balanced on the edge. With one last suspicious glance at the building in the distance, Thorn pulled her hood over her head and hopped to the next rooftop.

* * *

 

Peering around the door frame, the woman kept her hand by her hip, on the grip of the gun that was holstered there. She’d placed the bandana over her mouth again and Bucky had scraped his hair back into a small ponytail using a hair tie that the woman had given him, although a few strands still fell over his face.  
“We have a few minutes before they realise that you’re gone. After that they’ll be looking for the scraggly hair and the metal arm. Then someone will examine the bodies, notice the shirt is missing, and look for that instead. Better to hide in plain sight until that happens.” She had explained. Bucky felt strange being dressed so casually. He was blindly following this woman on the basis that she knew something about him, his memories and his forgotten past. He had trusted HYDRA for so long and had believed them to be the way forward until his encounter with the man on the bridge. It had uncovered previously forgotten memories and planted a seed of doubt in his mind. That doubt had then grown into full-blown suspicion when he had told Pierce how he felt. It confirmed that he wasn’t being told everything. He was just a puppet, a slave to HYDRA’s cause.

It was that same suspicion and disappointment that pushed him through the door in pursuit of his mysterious saviour. Without her, he might have allowed his suspicion to be “wiped” from his head. Not only did she offer him answers but also a chance to seek them for himself. She was offering him freedom. Bucky had felt so lost until she found him and though he wasn’t sure whether he trusted her yet, he was willing to follow her for now. He could do that easily, he’d been following HYDRA for as long as he could remember.

The woman’s hand left her side and she walked into the corridor confidently, gesturing for him to follow. Standing up straight, Bucky obliged. They began to saunter down the corridor, passing oblivious guards and members of staff in the process. It disheartened him further to realise that nobody recognised him without his metal arm visible. He really was just a name, an anonymous pawn in HYDRA’s game.  
“Try not to look so stiff.” She whispered as they walked. Bucky hadn’t even realised how awkward he looked – he wasn’t used to having free roam of the building; any time he was outside was usually a battle situation.  
“Relax your shoulders,” he followed her hushed instructions, “and keep your chin up. Much better.”

Their walk through the corridors was slow and seemingly never-ending. He would have been concerned at how well the woman knew the building’s layout if he hadn’t been so tense. Bucky was on high-alert. Any minute now they could discover he was missing and the alarms would sound, threatening his chance of freedom. As if on cue, the lights around them turned red and metal walls slid down in place of the windows and doors like something from an action movie. A monotonous voice rang out over the speaker system.  
“ _Intruder alert. Winter Soldier holding cell breached; 4 dead. Target location unknown – all HYDRA agents on red alert. This is not a drill. Apprehend or eliminate the Winter Soldier.”_  
The woman sighed and retrieved her gun. Bucky barely had time to duck before she fired three shots over his shoulder. A HYDRA agent at the end of the corridor behind him collapsed to the floor.  
“Let’s go. This way.” She said all too happily, jogging away with Bucky close behind.

They stopped at the corner and the woman scanned the area ahead. She was forced to retract her head when three bullets zoomed past.  
“We’ve found them!” The gunmen called out. The woman was counting her fingers and mumbled aloud.  
“One coming towards us, two at the back and one of them behind a box. Right.” She nodded and rushed out to the side.

Bucky followed her and watched as she shot the approaching gunman twice. Before he toppled to the ground, she lunged forward and pulled his body over her own. Bucky noticed the crate further down the hallway and sprinted towards it. Using the guard as a human shield, the woman shot the other two guards. Meanwhile, Bucky leapt into the air and pushed off from the wall, performing an elegant front flip over the top of the box. As he rolled through the air, he grabbed the head of the hiding guard and yanked it. The guard was pulled up and over, and flung forward, snapping his neck as Bucky landed gracefully on one knee. 20 seconds. 4 dead.

The woman let the guard’s body flop on top of the others before scurrying away. Bucky smirked and followed her – he hadn’t met someone that was nearly as good at fighting as him. The next opposition caught them by surprise. 3 men burst from a door to their left and knocked the gun from the woman’s hand. It glided across the floor 3 feet. She cursed before swinging her arm around and cracking her fist against the assailant’s jaw. Bucky grabbed one of the men’s throats and forced him backwards into the wall. He smashed his metal fist into the man’s face, watching his skull crumple under the pressure.

The dead man slid to the floor and Bucky turned only to see that the one of the other two men had caught the woman. He had his arms around her shoulders and chest, pinning her arms to her side, as a second man smashed his fist across her face repeatedly. The action had knocked the hat and shades from her face to be replaced with cuts and bruises. Just when Bucky intended to intervene, the woman lifted her feet up and pushed against her attacker’s chest, forcing her captor to the ground simultaneously. She wriggled free of his grasp and leapt for her gun, sliding across the floor before turning around to fire. Bucky took care of the relapsing man as she did.

After the fight had finished, the pair of them paused for a moment, letting the sound of their panting fill the air. Soon the woman stood up and touched her face gingerly, wincing at the pain her swollen cheek provided. Her hair was either a light brown or a dark blonde – it was difficult to tell in the current lighting – and it was fashioned into a braid that now sat on her shoulder, falling gracefully down her chest. She had grey eyes that watched Bucky curiously as he examined her newly revealed appearance. She adjusted her bandana so that it covered the wounds and broke her gaze with him.    
“You good?” She asked and he nodded once. The woman turned on her heel and made to leave. He followed obediently, not planning to ask about her injuries. They left the broken sunglasses by the bloodied hat, disguises no longer a priority.

“There’s a network of tunnels underneath the building that were created in the 50s in an attempt to rob this place. We can get out through those.” The woman explained as they walked. Bucky nodded understandingly, noting the lisp that had been created by her wounds. He began to wonder how she knew the building so well. Was she a HYDRA agent too? Or was she a SHIELD agent that had broken in? In which case, why had she rescued him instead of–  
“You don’t say much, do you?” She smiled, breaking off his train of thought. Bucky’s mouth parted a little. He couldn’t believe she was making light conversation at such a time.  
“What should I say?” He asked. The woman sighed and rolled her eyes.  
“It’s a little alarming that you have to ask.” She muttered. The walk continued in silence before she spoke again.

“Look, your inability to question things is the reason you’re in this mess in the first place. Maybe change that habit now.” She encouraged him, if a little sarcastically. Bucky pondered his questions for some time, the woman patiently waiting for him to voice one. Their steps echoed through the endless hallways but paled in comparison to the throbbing of his now tortured mind. He had so much that he wanted to know but the multitude of questions raced through his mind too quickly for him to latch onto just one.

“Who am I?” He asked, surprising both himself and the woman.

She stopped walking and Bucky also paused in his tracks. He turned to face her, noticing that sadness was etched onto her face.  
“You… You don’t-” The woman lurched forward and Bucky saw a red liquid splatter across the floor. When she stood up straight, her eyes were watery but her expression was austere. She turned to the side and raised her gun and emptied it into the body of the guard behind them. Even after he had fallen, she continued to fire at his corpse, a combination of rage and pain closing her finger around the trigger repeatedly. Eventually, she had used up her ammunition and tossed the gun aside. She leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

“Shit.” She murmured, placing her hand over the wound on her shoulder. The sound of thunderous footsteps caught her attention and the pair turned to see more gunmen rounding the corner, each a little unprepared and loading ammunition into their weapons as they marched. She turned to face Bucky whilst time was on their side. She placed a hand on his shoulder.  
“Are you with them or with me?” She demanded to know. Bucky paused, taken aback by her question. “I hate to rush you but I kind of need to know this now.”

Bucky looked at his feet and ran the events of the day through his head – not only had HYDRA been lying to him but they had ordered his execution the minute he found out.  
“You.” He said, confident that he was making the right choice for once.  
“Good. Then find Steve Rogers. Down this corridor, first left and you’ll hit a dead end. A loose floor tile will get you into the tunnels. Follow them out and find Captain America. He is the only hope you have at finding out what you need to know and if you don’t stop HYDRA, then he’s as good as dead. But he is the _only_ one you can trust, do you understand me?” Bucky nodded, quickly realising that the woman didn’t intend to follow him out.

She pulled her hand back and used it to grab another gun.  
“Go Barnes.” The woman hissed but something stuck his feet to the floor. Stepping forward, the woman held her gun at arm’s length, struggling to take a good aim with her obscuring eyesight.  
“James Buchanan Barnes, if you don’t leave right now, I will shoot you myself.” She said with a playful but pained grin. Eventually, Bucky stumbled backwards down the corridor.

Agent Thorn turned the safety off of her gun and opened fire onto the men in front of her. A couple cried out or dropped to the floor but it was no surprise that her meagre attempts did next to nothing. Her motivation was stimulated by the knowledge she was holding them off long enough for Bucky to make his escape but several minutes later she had lost all strength. She couldn’t even hold the gun up. Her weak knees gave way and she collapsed inelegantly to the floor, panting and groaning. With fumbling fingers, she searched herself for her knife. Just as she grasped it, a boot kicked her hand away from the blade. A man in a suit peered over her, though his image was blurred. He spoke with a calm and authoritative voice.  
“Well, well, Agent Thorn. We’ve heard a great deal about you.”

The lights flickered and died.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this chapter was alright. Don't worry that Thorn's story is still a little vague, it's supposed to be. There'll be a bit more explanation in the future courtesy of Fury, Nicholas J. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorn is left at the hands of Alexander Pierce whilst Bucky searches for and locates Captain America, the one person she told him to trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much longer chapter this time. However, I realised half way through that the order of events wasn't correct according to the film. It isn't much better now - Rumlow seems to jump about a bit - but please bear with me on this. I just about managed to correct it and the rest of the story should be fine now.

The room was stuffy and uncomfortable. Thorn opened her eyes and hissed at the blinding light that greeted her. When she tried to lift her hands to block it, she found that they were tied to a chair, along with her legs, using leather straps. She could barely move. Though it was alarming, she was slightly grateful that she hadn’t moved much. Her muscles ached, her head was pounding, and her shoulder was mortifyingly painful. It was likely infected. Of course they hadn’t cleaned it – why would they? If this told Thorn anything, it was that they wanted her alive, but for what was still uncertain.

The chamber was small and well lit but reeked of something putrid and sour. Save for the chair she was strapped to and the door in front of her, the only other things she could see were a table holding a large briefcase and a bucket of water that was underneath the counter. The door to the room opened and Alexander Pierce walked in. Thorn lowered her brow in confusion. What was Pierce doing here? Had SHIELD found her?  
“Miss Thorn.” He said with a toxic grin. That voice, it belonged to the man that she had seen before passing out. _Pierce was with HYDRA_. Immediately, Thorn’s face darkened and Pierce chuckled lightly.  
“I see you’ve figured it out. You always were clever. It’s just a shame that your intelligence couldn’t be put to better use.” Pierce turned and shut the door gently behind him, placing his hands in his pockets afterwards.  
“Still, now we have the opportunity to change that.”

“What are you talking about?” Thorn spat. He smiled compassionately and looked down at his feet before looking deep into the agent’s eyes.  
“You’re a smart girl. You just pulled off a stunt that would take SHIELD a team of at least 4 men.” Thorn smirked.  
“And now the world will now what you’re up to. Your precious Winter Soldier is gone. He’ll find Steve Rogers and tell him everything. All of HYDRA’s secrets.”

Pierce sighed and shook his head.  
“I’m afraid that’s not at all possible. Steve Rogers is dead.” Thorn didn’t want to gasp but she couldn’t help it. Pierce sensed her shock and nodded.  
“Regrettably, he was caught snooping around where he shouldn’t have been. We were forced to destroy the barracks he was hiding in. We believe the Black Widow was with him too.” Thorn felt sick and looked around the room with wide eyes.  
“As for the Winter Soldier,” Pierce continued, “he knew next to nothing anyway. We made sure to restrict what he knew due to the sensitive nature of his history, didn’t want to worry the guy. Any intelligence he picked up along the way was wiped between missions.” Thorn leaned back and looked at the ceiling, trying to calm her breaths. When Barnes had asked who he was, he really didn’t know. He hadn’t known anything.  
“He only knew whatever it was that you told him…” Pierce said. Then he leaned into Thorn’s face and placed his hand on her shoulder. Thorn groaned as a flash of pain arose.  
“And I very much want to know what that was.” Pierce said.

Thorn spat in Pierce’s face and he recoiled, removing his hand from her shoulder at the same time. Thorn sighed with relief.  
“He doesn’t know anything. He’s not a threat.” She insisted as the man in front of her wiped the saliva from his eye.  
“Do you know something? I almost believed you.” He said, slowly getting angrier.  
“Would you believe me if I said he knew everything?” Pierce narrowed his eyes. “That’s right. Every file, every piece of intelligence, all of HYDRA’s plans are in his head. He knows exactly what you’re doing.” Pierce shook his head slowly and put his hands back into his pockets.  
“Miss Thorn, I appreciate that you’re trying to be cunning but I would prefer that you didn’t lie to me.”

“It’s one or the other, Pierce. You choose what you want to believe.” Looking at his feet, the suited man nodded slowly.  
“I see.” He said, turning and approaching the table in the corner. His hand gently traced the handle of the case. “It seems that we’re going to have to do this the hard way.” He said over his shoulder. With a click, he opened the suitcase and revealed its contents.  
“Just you try.” Thorn said, her words empty and numb with fear.

* * *

 

 “Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky.”

Sam Wilson listened as Steve finished explaining what he’d seen. The truck rumbled along the road slowly and the three of them sat silently in the back, bruised and broken from the previous fighting. Steve was particularly troubled by what he had seen and stared at the floor, replaying the images in his head. Bucky hadn’t even recognised him.

Natasha groaned and shifted in her seat, causing Sam to notice. The wound in her shoulder was bleeding profusely. He turned to the guard on his left.  
“We need to get a doctor here. We don’t put pressure on that wound she’s going to bleed out here in the-” The guard lunged their weapon threateningly. Sam’s words disappeared.

Then the guard turned and thrust the weapon into their partner before using their leg to snap their neck. The body crumpled and wilted onto the floor. Everyone was silent and watched in awe as the guard removed their helmet.  
“Agh, that thing was squeezing my brain.” Maria Hill said. She shook her brunette locks a little to try and tidy them but it did not good. Sam stared with an open mouth at the woman but she noticed.

Turning to Steve, she asked:  
“Who’s this guy?” Sam thrust his hand forward.  
“Sam, Sam Wilson. The pleasure is _all_ mine.” He beamed. Maria ignored his hand and rolled her eyes.  
“We’ve gotta go.” Maria ordered. She got to her knees and activated the electric baton in her hand. Pushing it into the floor, she cut a circle in the floor and kicked at the newly severed floor panel. It clattered to the floor and the truck passed seamlessly over it.  
“Wilson, is it?” Hill said over her shoulder whilst turning to Steve’s cuffs.  
“Yes, ma’am.”  
“You first. Take Romanoff.”

The jump was tough and Sam did not enjoy it but they were free and he likely owed the brunette his life. After he and Romanoff skidded to a halt, he helped her to her feet. She proceeded to lean against him whilst they waited for the figures of their friends to drop out of the bottom of the truck. They did so promptly and hit the ground hard. Wilson helped Romanoff limp towards them where Steve had taken Maria into his arms to protect her.

“I could’ve done that too, you know, I just had to-”  
“Let’s go.” Maria stated, walking past Wilson.  
“Alright, yeah. Cool.” Sam nodded and followed her. Steve patted Sam on his shoulder a couple of times.  
“Just don’t.” He advised.

The group walked sluggishly and in silence for a few minutes. Steve ultimately ended up carrying Natasha so that they could speed up.  
“There’s a rendezvous point not far from here. A car can take us the rest of the way.”  
“The rest of the way to where?” Sam asked.  
“We’ve got a safe house set up in an underground system. Romanoff, we’ll patch you up there and you can rest.” Hill explained. She was strutting half a metre in front of the others to keep an eye out for danger, though Sam consistently attempted to talk to her.

The group were walking under a series of bridges that had been constructed with highways on top and the sounds of the cars rumbling over their heads echoed in the silent surrounding landscape. Whilst they walked, Natasha took the opportunity to talk to Steve.  
“How you doin’? You okay?” She whispered. Steve let a breathy laugh escape his lips.  
“You got shot and you’re asking me how I am.” He chuckled. “You should save your breath.”  
“I’m stronger than you think Steve, I-”  
“No, wait, seriously. Hold on a second.” Steve insisted.

As they emerged from under the current bridge, Steve looked up at the next where oblivious traffic chugged along. Stood waiting by the bordering fence was a familiar figure, a metal hand glimmering in the sunlight.  
“Hill! Sam!” He hissed and the couple turned around. Steve was kneeling now, with Natasha draped over his lap as the others crept back towards him quickly and quietly, looking around for the danger they had missed.  
“It’s _him_.” Steve said solemnly. Sam looked terrified and turned in the direction they’d just retreated from but Hill was confused.  
“Him? Who’s him?”

“The Winter Soldier, Bucky. I don’t know how he found us but he’s on top of that bridge.” Sam looked thoughtful.  
“Maybe he followed the convoy in case we got out.” But Steve shook his head.  
“No. He would have found us already, we’ve been walking five minutes.”  
“Do you think he’s seen us?” Nat whispered, though her voice was empty enough on account of her weakened state. Steve shook his head slowly before placing Nat on the ground. Sam and Maria helped him to lower her down so that it could be done gently.

Cap then began to move slowly out. Hill was the only one to notice the direction he was going.  
“Steve! If that’s him then-”  
“If it’s him then I’m the only one who can talk to him.”  
“Or you’ll get us all killed. Get back here.” She snapped but Steve ignored her, taking more tentative steps. As he walked out from under the bridge, he saw the figure again, darkened by the sun that shone behind him. The silhouette’s head turned to look at him and Steve saw the shoulders droop a little.

The Winter Soldier lifted himself over the barrier and jumped down. He landed on one knee with his metal fist on the floor for balance. Slowly, he looked up at Steve, standing simultaneously.  
“Bucky… It’s-”  
“Steve Rogers, right? Captain America?” He said. It was Bucky’s voice but the words he spoke seemed foreign. He didn’t like the idea of his best friend not knowing who he was.  
“Yeah… It’s me Buck.” The Winter Soldier winced at the name. Steve took a hopeful step forward.  
“We need to talk.” Bucky said. “But it’s not safe here.”

Steve contemplated the situation. He could very easily take Bucky in and guide him to the safe house but there was no telling what would happen afterwards. This could all be a trap. However, his decision wasn’t made for him. Hill had followed him out of the tunnel and was aiming her gun at the Winter Soldier.  
“Please, I don’t want to hurt you but if you shoot me, I might not be able to stop myself.” Bucky pleaded, holding up his hands. That was all Steve needed to know. Somewhere, deep down inside, his friend was still there. He was wrestling and fighting with his actions and emotions – confused, scared and alone. Steve had a chance to save him and he wasn’t going to waste this one.

“There’s a safe house we’re heading to. We can talk there.” He said. Maria’s mouth dropped open and she was tempted to shoot Rogers instead. The safe house was safe for a reason – because nobody knew where it was. Instead Steve had decided he was going to bring a buddy. She wouldn’t have minded so much if his friend wasn’t a murderous assassin that had made an attempt on her boss’ life.

Steve turned around and faced her, making to go and collect Natasha. He leaned in as he passed and said:  
“Trust me.”

* * *

 

Agent Thorn’s screams echoed through the room, bouncing off of the walls and echoing again. Her dishevelled hair was plastered to her skin with sweat and blood, the latter of which dripped from her mouth gently. Tears joined the mix too, creating a sickening emulsion of bodily fluids that painted the canvas of her face.

A knife was being driven through her wounded shoulder and the brute who was holding it there decided to deal one final blow and twisted it anti-clockwise. Thorn howled again. Her breaths were short and deep as she struggled to keep a hold of her sanity. _Just a little longer_ , she reminded herself. A series of scars decorated her arms – both from the rubbing of her constraints which had ultimately drawn blood, and from the intricate patterns that her torturer had inflicted onto her skin with a blade. He clearly had a dramatic flair.

Pierce watched on from the observatory attached to the room. Rumlow stood next to him, not long having explained that Captain America had escaped him.  
“She’s not saying a word.” The SHIELD agent said.  
“Of course she’s not. She’s been trained that way.” Rumlow turned to look at Pierce.  
“You mean, you knew the torture wouldn’t work?” Pierce remained silent and bit his lip. One of his employees continued to draw cries from the agent’s mouth as he left the knife in her shoulder and began to smack her across the face repeatedly. He winced at one of the more brutal hits.  
“I needed her to be broken. She’ll be less receptive otherwise.”

“I thought you said that the recording worked either way.”  
“Oh it does, I can assure you Mr Rumlow, it will be quite effective. However she isn’t just anybody. She needs…” He waved his hand as he searched for the right word. “…persuasion. We just lost one of our biggest assets and we’ll need another if Project Insight is to continue as planned.” Rumlow slowly nodded and turned back as the agent ceased to hit her. Turning back to the briefcase, the man pulled out a cloth and picked up the bucket.  
“That’s a little excessive, I think.” Pierce said, beginning to make for the door. “We need her brain as functional as possible.”

The sight of the waterboarding tools caused Thorn’s heart to race. If the blood loss didn’t kill her first, the oxygen deprivation definitely would. However, just as the man leaned forward, the door to the room opened and Pierce returned.  
“Thank you Michael.” He said and the man leaned back, sneering before packing up his things and promptly leaving. Thorn panted and let her eyes roll back in her head. _Thank God_ , she thought, _it’s over._ Though she knew Pierce wouldn’t be inclined to let her leave alive, at least she had survived this long.

“You’re quite resilient Miss Thorn.” She licked her dry lips and frowned when she tasted blood.  
“I don’t know what you were hoping to achieve. I’ve told you all I’m going to.”  
“I understand that but you’ve spent the last few weeks peering at our files. Forgive me if I was curious to see what you’ve learnt.” Pierce said, stepping closer to her. He placed his finger tips to his mouth and knelt down so that he was on the same level as the agent.  
“However I’m afraid that leaves us with a little dilemma. You’re not much use to us in this state.”  
“You think I’m afraid of dying? Please, just do it quickly and we can all move on.” Thorn laughed but Pierce tutted and shook his head.  
“I’m afraid you’ve drastically misunderstood. You see, it’s like I said. You’re of no use to us in this state so we’re just going to have to… make you of use.” He said with a fleeting smile. Before Thorn could question anything further, the man had stood and was leaving the room. She heard him speak before the door closed.  
“Play the tape.”

The room lights dimmed and a projector that was apparently hidden behind her flickered into life…

* * *

 

The van, as Hill had said, was waiting for them in a secluded alleyway. Natasha had spent the entire car journey staring at Bucky suspiciously but he had ignored the glances, choosing to focus on the floor. Steve’s head was racing with thoughts but were overshadowed by the hope he was feeling. Sam and Maria sat next to each other – each equally nervous and confused.

The vehicle stopped at the safe house and everybody clambered out; Natasha was insistent on walking the rest of the way, having been granted a “rest” in the drive. Steve helped her to get through the tunnel and Sam stood on the other side as Maria led the way. Bucky trailed behind making sure to stay out of the way. He needed Steve’s trust and right now the best way to gain that was to do as he was told.

“GSW, she’s lost at least a pint.” Maria said to the man, presumably a doctor, running towards them.  
“Maybe two.” Sam added.  
“Let me take her.” The doctor said, gesturing for them to bring the injured Natasha towards him. Maria interjected first.  
“She’ll want to see him first.” Steve and Natasha looked at Maria with surprise etched on their faces. Could it be…?

Bucky’s memories since attacking Fury were fragmented. He remembered the mission but knew little about his target. Nonetheless, judging by Steve and Natasha’s reaction as Maria pulled away a curtain to reveal the man in the bed, he was important.  
“About damn time.” The man said. He wore an eyepatch over his left eye and was bandaged up in several places. The doctor led Natasha to a seat and began seeing to her wound whilst Fury talked.  
“Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collar bone” Fury listed his injuries, his good eye never leaving Bucky who was skulking in a dark corner of the room. Sam and Maria stood at the foot of the bed whilst Steve was a little closer. None of them paid Bucky any mind for the time being.  
“Perforated liver… One hell of a hit.”  
“Don’t forget your collapsed lung.” The doctor cut in, applying a little more pressure on Natasha’s shoulder.  
“Let’s not forget that. Otherwise, I’m good.”

“They cut you open – your heart stopped.” Natasha protested. Bucky thought that she seemed oddly calm for someone who had just found out a man previously thought dead was alive and hiding.  
“Tetrodotoxine B slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress; didn’t work so great for him but we found a use for it.”    
“Why all the secrecy?” Steve asked, cutting off anything that Fury might have been about to say. “Why not just tell us?”  
“Any attempt on the Director’s life had to look successful.” Maria explained and Fury nodded.  
“Can’t kill you if you’re already dead.” He paused. “Besides I wasn’t sure who to trust.”

At that point, everybody slowly turned towards Bucky. He shifted uncomfortably and stepped out of the shadows, more enigmatically than he would have liked.  
“Does someone want to tell me why _he_ ’s here?” Fury looked around for an explanation but Bucky forced himself to speak first.  
“I… I escaped.” He mumbled.  
“You escaped?” Hill asked, seemingly unable to believe him. “From where?” Bucky shook his head.  
“A bank in Washington.”

“There are plenty of banks in Washington, son. I’m going to have to ask for a little more than that.” Fury grumbled.  
“It’s an old bank, not used anymore. HYDRA turned it into a hideout and kept me there between missions.” Bucky said. Images flashed in front of his eyes and he clamped them shut to try and block them out. He could feel a red fog trying to claw its way into his focus but he refused to let it. He wouldn’t become the Winter Soldier again – not now he was free.

The feeling of a hand on his shoulder suddenly calmed him and Bucky looked up to see Steve smiling down at him. Sam was sharing a worried glance with Maria.  
“How did you escape?” He asked softly.  
“After you said “Bucky” on the bridge, I started to remember things. Pierce wanted to wipe my mind and carry on as if nothing happened but… there was a woman.”

“A woman?” Fury asked.  
“Yes. She shot the other guards and freed me before they could do anything.”  
“And where is she now?” Fury asked. Natasha watched in earnest as he tried to sit up. Hill also noticed Fury’s concern and furrowed her brow. She walked to his side and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. When he looked up at her, she shook her head and tried to make him settle. She knew exactly what he was thinking but it was impossible.  
“She got left behind. She was shot in the shoulder but didn’t let it stop her, instead insisting that I flee whilst she hold them. I never knew who she worked for but she wanted me to tell you that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD.” Natasha grunted as if it wasn’t already obvious. “She wanted me to find you, Steve.”

The room fell silent again as the weight of what Bucky had just said settled in. It was no surprise to anyone at this point that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD, the real shock was that someone from SHIELD might be inside HYDRA.  
“I don’t even know if she’s still alive but I owe her my life.” Bucky sighed and Steve patted his shoulder a couple of times.

“Oh, she’s alive, don’t worry.” Fury grinned. Everybody turned to look at him.  
“Sir, with all due respect-” Hill began but Steve held up a hand to silence her.  
“What is it? Do you know who she is?” Fury shook his head.  
“Maybe. I’ve got a hunch.” The doctor finished seeing to Natasha and stood up.  
“Right, sorry folks, this conversation is going to have to continue later. For now, Director Fury needs rest.” He began to herd them out of the room. Fury never took his eye off of Bucky as the soldier left the room in pursuit of the others. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury informs the group as to Thorn's identity and Natasha has a hard time trusting Bucky.

Fury was sat at the head of the table in the darkened room, looking at the men and women in front of him. Some sat and some stood but all eyes were on him owing to the information he held on the mysterious woman. Two laptops were positioned in front of Agent Hill and she turned one around so that everybody could see it. On the screen were two pictures – one from the front of a woman and another of her profile. Bucky recognised her instantly.   
“Agent Regina Thorn,” Fury announced, “worked for a sub-division of SHIELD known as STAR.”   
“I’ve never heard of it.” Natasha said. She was watching Bucky fiercely as he stared intently at the images, leaning across the table in eagerness.   
“That’s the point. It stands for Secretive Tactical Assault Reserve; we only pull them out for missions we don’t want anyone to know about. They brought Cap back to New York when he was thawed.”

“SHIELD and STAR… I’m sensing a theme.” Sam chuckled, lowering himself into the seat next to Maria. She ignored him, sliding the laptop across the table towards Bucky who was gesturing that he might have it. He began to scroll through the other images that the SHIELD database contained – holiday photos, family events, pictures with her teammates. In each of them, she looked exceedingly happy. He could remember her surprising optimism whilst rescuing him and it appeared to be a prominent characteristic.   
“STAR was formed shortly after SHIELD and was painstakingly hidden. Since then they’ve completed over 250 covert operations right under the world’s noses and Thorn was the best damn agent on that team, the likes of which haven’t been seen since Peggy Carter of the SSR.” Steve let a small nostalgic smile escape him.   
“So what happened to her?” Bucky asked, hoping to draw conversation back.

“When HYDRA began to tear SHIELD apart, STAR was the first to feel the effects. A team of agents were watching a particular bank in Washington” Fury glanced at Bucky, “for signs of suspicious activity using a nearby apartment – only Alexander Pierce and I had knowledge of its location. They sent regular reports telling us how little was happening until suddenly, the reports stopped coming. We found the team slaughtered, though Thorn’s body was missing. Until recently we thought that they’d been found and taken out. But instead-”

“HYDRA had been within the team.” Steve nodded solemnly.   
“They tore it apart from the inside at the same time that STAR and SHIELD went down. They’d been planning to send a team inside the building – Thorn must have survived and tried to complete the mission on her own.”   
“And she almost did it too.” Bucky smiled bashfully. Fury smirked at his expression.   
“I told you she was good.”

“So wait, if STAR was watching the base for so long,” Natasha pointed out “how did SHIELD not know that Buck-” She paused and looked the Winter Soldier up and down. “that _he_ was in there?”   
“They might have done for all we know but HYDRA used its inside agents to restrict the information that was being relayed back to SHIELD. The mission wasn’t a rescue, it was a reconnaissance.” Fury said, shifting a little in his seat with discomfort, Maria watching him with concern. Bucky looked pensive, his brow furrowed and his eyes dark.   
“If she went in for information then why did she help me?” Fury shrugged and then winced a little more.   
“She was digging around. She must’ve found your file, realised who you were and made a different call.”

After Fury finished speaking, a female agent with long blonde hair walked into the room carrying a briefcase. She placed it on the table alongside a black and white photo of Alexander Pierce. Sam couldn’t help winking at the pretty lady as she walked away, much to her pleasure. As the blushing woman left, Sam turned back to see Maria Hill casting her eyes away just in time. He raised a curious eyebrow.

Fury picked up the photo and examined it, sighing simultaneously.   
“This man declined a Nobel Peace Prize. He said ‘peace wasn’t an achievement. It was a responsibility’.” He leaned forward in his chair after throwing the photo onto the table again.   
“See, it’s stuff like this that gives me trust issues?”   
“We have to stop the launch.” Natasha said, looking to Steve who had a grave expression.   
“I don’t think the council’s accepting my calls anymore.” Fury muttered, lifting the lid on the briefcase that had been brought in.

Inside were 3 blue microchips, sitting snug in a bed of foam.   
“What’s that?” Sam asked. Maria responded punctually, turning around the laptop that was in front of her.   
“Once the helicarriers reach 3000 feet, they’ll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponised.”  
“We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own.” Fury interjected.   
“1 or 2 won’t cut it. We need to link all 3 carriers for this to work because if even one of those ships remains operational, a whole lot of people are gonna die.” Maria said with great difficulty. She licked her lips, clearly unnerved, and Sam gazed at her with soft eyes.   
“We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA.” Fury directed, looking to Steve whose gaze was still stern. He was stood with his hands in his pockets, his jaw visibly jutted out.

“You have to get past them, insert these server blades and then maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what’s left-”                   
“We’re not salvaging anything.” Steve cut in loudly. His voice retained a calm rage that threatened to shatter on every syllable. Bucky, who had long since pulled himself away from the laptop’s screen, blinked in astonishment. This man was apparently his friend – and this was a whole new side to him. Fury’s face dropped and he lowered the hand he had pointedly raised.   
“We’re not just taking down the carriers, we’re taking down SHIELD.”  
“SHIELD had nothing to do with thi-”  
“You gave me this mission.” Steve persisted. “This is how it ends.” Fury was grinding his jaw but his wrinkled brow made him appear more pained than angered.

“SHIELD’s been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed.”   
“Why do you think we’re meeting in this cave?” Fury growled. “I noticed.”  
“How many paid the price before you did?” Bucky’s eyes glanced to the laptop again where Thorn’s smiling face was looking at him. He didn’t even know if she was alive but if she wasn’t then it was because of him – him and HYDRA. Fury looked left and right, his eye resting momentarily on Bucky.   
“Look,” He said with a low voice, “I didn’t know about Barnes.” Bucky’s head slowly turned. Fury was speaking as though he wasn’t even there!   
“Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalised that too? SHIELD, HYDRA – it all goes.”

“He’s right.” Hill said suddenly, making Fury look around in disbelief. She nodded a few times to reinforce the point so Fury looked to Natasha for support. However she leaned back in her chair. He turned to-  
“Don’t look at me.” Sam said, an air of joviality in his voice. “I do what he does just slower.” Steve glared at Fury, awaiting his verdict.   
“Well,” He said after a light sigh. “Looks like you’re giving the orders now Cap.”

Steve nodded slowly and slipped into the seat at the other end of the table.   
“There’s 3 blades and 3 of us.” Steve began to think aloud, planning and plotting.   
“But with Natasha’s wound, she can’t possibly fight.” Sam pointed out.   
“And I can’t take her place, you’ll need someone in the control room to activate the server.” Hill said regrettably. Natasha smirked.   
“I’ll be fine. I can just-”

“Let me do it.” Bucky said.

Everybody turned to look at him but his eyes were down, his mind elsewhere. The image of Thorn was burned into his retinas. As badly as he wanted his memories back, there was something that he had to do first. If Thorn was alive then he was going to help her like she had done for him, and if she wasn’t… then he damn well intended to avenge her. His past would still be there for him when he came back.

“Yeah…” Natasha scoffed. “That’s not happening.”   
“Why not?” Steve asked. In all honesty, he was suspicious too but on the other hand he wanted to give Bucky the benefit of the doubt. What could be better when fighting HYDRA than having one of their own turned against them? Natasha glared at him. She clearly thought it was obvious. When the silence persisted, she was forced to speak.   
“Because we can’t trust him.”

“That’s not an answer.”  
“No, she’s right.” Bucky mumbled. He looked up at Natasha who was eyeing him questionably, and gave her a nervous smile. However she returned it with a cold stare.   
“Given where I’ve come from, I don’t expect you to trust me straight away but Thorn did – if you won’t believe me, then believe her. My word was enough for her to go on. _She trusted me_.”  
“And look where that got her.” Natasha muttered, leaning back in her chair and pouting. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath.   
“I have to help her – and I’m going to, with or without you. I won’t leave her behind after what she did for me.”

“Bucky…” Steve whispered, leaning towards his friend but Bucky shifted away from him a little.   
“I have to try. Whether you trust me or not, I’m going back for her.” Natasha never took her eyes off of him, feeling slightly pitiful.   
“She was an amazing agent Mr Barnes.” Fury explained with a low and grave voice. “If she was alive she would’ve escaped by now.”   
“Nonetheless, I have to know, and if they’ve killed her then...” His fists curled up and began to tremble. Steve, who was still leaning in Bucky’s direction, placed a hand on his metal one. The latter looked up and felt relieved to see Steve smiling at him. He must be a good friend for his smile to be so easily reassuring.

Natasha sighed and Bucky glanced at her. She was biting her lip and looking between him and Fury. The Director stood up and winced a little.   
“Don’t look at me Romanoff.” He muttered before hobbling away. “Cap’s in charge now.” Steve looked down with a guilty grin. He wanted Bucky to come with them, his help would likely be invaluable and it would prove that he was on the road to recovery but he wouldn’t cross Natasha for his own needs.   
“Fine.” She suddenly said.  Steve flashed her an appreciative grin before patting Bucky gently on the shoulder.   
“Looks like you’re on the team then, Buck.” He said warmly.

* * *

 

Bucky stood on the bridge looking out at the expanse of land in front of him. The safe house was well-hidden but still provided ample views for melodramatic contemplation. He was still wearing the cotton blue shirt that had been ripped off of the HYDRA scientist’s body and the memory oddly made him shudder.   
“I didn’t take you for one of the brooding types.” A voice called out from the other end of the bridge, disturbing his thoughts. Bucky turned and saw Natasha ambling towards him.

“Neither did I.” He sighed, not all too pleased to see her after earlier; she clearly still didn’t trust him, despite her agreement to his involvement. Gradually, she had reached his side and leant against the metal railing.   
“You really don’t remember anything then?” She asked, a curious twinkle in her eyes. Bucky shook his head and she nodded leisurely before turning away from him again.   
“When I met Steve on the bridge-”  
“ _Met_ …” Natasha repeated but Bucky ignored her.   
“He called me Bucky, though I didn’t realise that was my name at the time. After that I began to remember things, only they didn’t make sense. They still don’t but I was certain of one thing. I knew who he was.”

“And you’d rather help this Regina Thorn than get your memories back?” Natasha asked.   
“I owe her my life.” Bucky explained and she nodded again. There was a pause, thick with awkward tension, in which Natasha turned around and leant back against the railing, gazing at the sky.   
“You still don’t trust me.” Bucky stated. Natasha said nothing and continued to look up.   
“How’s your shoulder?” He asked and she let out a breathy laugh.   
“A real bitch.”

“Sorry about that.” He mumbled, looking down at his feet which he kicked against the floor. Natasha turned to him, a concoction of perplexity and wonder causing her eyes to sparkle.   
“I don’t get it… How do you cope?” Bucky caught her gaze and raised his eyebrows. “After all you’ve been through, after everything that’s happened to you, how are you not…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, turning away again and taking a few ragged breaths. Bucky waited for her to calm down, before replying.    
“I don’t know.” He admitted. “I think I owe a lot of it to her – she never let me stop and panic. She kept me in my comfort zone, on a mission. Even after I was free, I had an objective: I had to find Steve Rogers.”

“You really respect her.” Natasha said. Bucky paused and thought about how he had mindlessly followed her and smiled. She had shown him kindness and compassion. She had granted him a freedom that he didn’t know he wanted or deserved, and sacrificed herself to ensure that he got it. In barely any time at all, this woman whom he barely knew proved herself to be the most loyal friend he could ever remember having. Yes, respect. There was no better way to describe it.   
“I would trust her with my life” He said. “– and I did.” Natasha turned to him with wide eyes, her mouth parted a little.

Steve walked onto the bridge.   
“You guys ready to go? We’ve got transport to the Smithsonian and then it’s a short walk to the Triskelion.”   
“Why the Smithsonian?” Natasha asked, standing up straight. Turning around, Steve called over his shoulder:   
“We’re gonna fight a war.”   
“We’ve got to wear a uniform.” Bucky said before he could stop himself. Natasha turned to him with a raised brow. He brushed it off with a shrug of his shoulders and so the agent strutted away after Steve. Bucky couldn’t help but smile again, his insides churned with glee. He was slowly remembering things. The words tumbled free of his tongue before he had even registered thinking them. It was a terribly good sign. However the real war would now be holding onto those memories after they’d arrived.

That fight began now. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle of the freedom of the world begins now, but Bucky finds himself facing an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one took so long. Between my birthday and getting a new job, I've had little time to spare.

The still river shifted with the force of the panels underneath. The sound of grinding gears and scraping metal filled the air. Splitting into segments, the roof of the hangar slid away, revealing the cotton-white clouds and pale sky watching over it. The surplus water cascaded into the room below alongside the sun that peered into the room, smiling at the villainous planes which were slowly coming into view. The engines of the helicarriers burst into life and emitted a bright cyan light before heaving the monstrous constructions off of the ground. 

The trio of men consisting of Sam, Bucky, and Steve ran forward towards the open-roofed hangers.   
“Sam, get Bucky to that third carrier.”   
“Right.” He cried before releasing the metal wings strapped to his back. Bucky had a harness hugging his torso that contained a variety of weapons from guns to knives to grenades. Steve had been apprehensive about arming him so violently.   
“Not everyone gets a shield to play with. This is how I work, Steve.” He had reminded him.

After a minute, Bucky felt two hands under his harness and the ground abandoning his feet.   
“Hold onto your butt.” Sam chuckled. The metal wings carried the pair over the first helicarrier, onto which Steve had jumped, and towards the second.   
“I’ll get you to the last one and then I’ll-” Sam’s words were cut off by a cacophony of explosions as the weaponry aboard the ship began to fire at them. In focusing on not getting shot, Sam’s grip on Bucky loosened and the Winter Soldier found himself tumbling through the air.

He hit the ground hard and rolled onto his back, wheezing and spluttering.   
“Barnes!” Came Sam’s voice through the headset.   
“M… Move to the… to the third carrier.” Bucky coughed. Immediately the Falcon’s silhouette disappeared from the billowing smoke above his head.   
“Bucky, you alright?” Steve’s voice asked. After realising that no-one could see him nodding, Bucky wheezed the affirmative.

Silence fell over the radio. Everybody was focused and busy. It was time. Standing up, Barnes brushed himself off, scolding himself simultaneously. He used to be able to take such hits easily but it would seem that the price of freedom truly was high – he was more aware of himself now and wasn’t robotically acting. Whether that was a good or bad thing was yet to be determined, though it certainly felt strange. He’d barely taken a few steps when he encountered the first wave of HYDRA agents. Immediately, his brain seemed to shift into gear and the Winter Soldier took over, cutting through the men like flies.

Alexander Pierce watched from the window as his helicarriers slowly ascended, pelting ammunition at their attackers. He licked his lips. A man with a distinctive metal arm was fighting his way through precious HYDRA defences. There was only one way to stop  _him_.   
“Send her out.” Pierce murmured into the bottom of his mobile phone. An anonymous agent acknowledged the command before hanging up. Pierce then turned back to the council who were watching him with narrow eyes.

“Bravo locked.” Sam shouted into the receiver. “Barnes, where you at?”   
“Engaging.” Bucky cried into his microphone. The HYDRA agents flooded onto the deck, armed to the teeth with assorted weaponry including rocket launchers, machine guns and grenades – all with the hope of stopping the oncoming soldiers. Shielding his eyes from the ammunition with his metal arm, Bucky approached the men before him with agonising speed. Two grenades were on his harness and he tossed one into the swarm of armed men, dispersing their bodies through the air. Any that survived now dealt with Bucky personally as he used a knife to tear his way through. As he fought, he noticed a small group of men in helmets strutting forward on his right.

“All SHIELD pilots, scramble. We are the only air support Captain Rogers has got.” He ordered into a walkie-talkie. As if on cue, a rocket soared through the air and landed against the side of a rising plane. Bucky vaulted behind a nearby storage box as the burning vehicle soared to the ground, creating a tumultuous cloud of fire and debris. It took out the remaining HYDRA agents but didn’t leave Bucky without a searing burn on his shoulder. The panting soldier placed a hand over the bubbling flesh and winced but similarly was grateful for the cooling sensation his metal hand provided.

“What the hell was that?” Sam asked through the coms. After a second’s hesitation, Bucky peered over the top of the box. Flames filled his vision but between them someone could be seen firing explosives in various directions. Their hair was the only thing currently visible and it was a deep pomegranate in colour. As the flames died down, more of them could be seen. The rich red hair was cut into a sharp bob and surrounded a round face containing… grey eyes.

“Oh, of course…” Bucky whispered.   
“Barnes?” Sam asked.   
“Get Steve and go. She doesn’t know I’m here yet.”   
“She? Barnes, who’s up there?”

Thorn took out anybody in view – HYDRA and SHIELD alike – in her attempt to eliminate the remaining vehicles. She was dressed in a jumpsuit and combat boots with a bandana covering the lower half of her face, all of which were an ominous black. Two swords were strapped to her back, the handles of which were protruded from behind her shoulder blades. An assortment of other weaponry was attached to her body. One man ran forward and attempted to throw a grenade but before he had the chance, she had pulled a gun from her waist and shot him. She leapt for the grenade he dropped in the process and threw it inside the closing hangar of a nearby plane, diving away just in time for it to explode. Thorn made her way through the remaining people on the hangar, still unaware of Bucky’s presence behind the boxes. He was still panting and clutching his shoulder but he turned to the metal door on his left.  

“1.” He panted.  

Thorn pulled a knife from the holster on her shin and ran it through the guards in front of her. She ducked from a sudden cloud of bullets and tackled the man shooting them, pinning him to the floor. Grabbing his own gun, she rolled off of him and shot him twice in the head before he could process what had happened.

“2.”

Bucky removed the hand from his shoulder and hissed slightly. Thorn was making her way to one of the two remaining planes that were attempting to take off. She picked up a nearby body and threw it into the blades of the vehicle before shooting the pilot of the other plane through the window.

“3.”

Bucky scurried forward and made for the metal door. As he reached the metal of the door, a knife scraped his exposed shoulder and Bucky grunted. Turning round, he saw Thorn’s savaged hair flying behind her as she pursued him. Abandoning his initial plan, Bucky turned and headed straight for her.

The two engaged in a vicious fist-fight. Thorn dodged his every attack, ducking, sliding, and rolling out of the way of his fists, just as he did for her. Her arms were a blur as she threw punch after punch, each time aiming for his face. Seeing a slim window of opportunity, he threw a balled hand forward and watched as she seemed to curl backwards effortlessly. She pressed her palms flat against the tarmac and let her legs flick upwards, striking Bucky right in the jaw. He recoiled a little before returning his gaze to Thorn.

In that time, she had pulled out a knife and approached him with an increasing pace. She thrust the blade towards his face multiple times and each time he placed a hand or a wrist in its way. The energy she had seemed unfaltering, making it difficult for Bucky to stop her or even land an attack of his own. He felt himself having to step backwards to compensate for the force at which she was fighting him. As the Winter Soldier, he rarely made slip-ups but whatever they had done to Thorn was not as effective. She paused – for a slice of a second – and Bucky was able to grab her wrist. Twisting it, his stomach turned at the sound of her cries. It didn’t sound like she was in pain. More that she was angry. Indignant. He made to speak, praying that she’d listen.   
“Thorn, please-” She didn’t listen. The agent used Bucky’s grip as leverage and flipped over him. Soon she had him in a hold of her own and dragged him, with an arm around his throat, to the edge of the helicarrier. He kicked and thrashed but the lack of oxygen he was getting made it harder and harder to move. Bucky screamed as Thorn tossed him over the edge of the helicarrier.

He soared through the air with a sickening speed, the worst part being how little he could do. His flailing limbs searched for something to grasp to and his eyes searched the skies for a missed opportunity but both to no avail. The ground was rushing up to meet him until suddenly something grabbed his harness. Bucky jolted and heard his saviour shouting simultaneously.  

“If we get out of this, you gonna lose a few pounds, ya hear me?” Sam groaned.   
“When. When we get out of this.” Bucky reminded him, moving to take the Falcon’s arm instead so that he’d be easier to carry. Thorn whirled around instantly at the sound of voices and saw Bucky miraculously being lifted to safety by a man with  _wings_. Metal wings. Cursing, she ran for the metal door.

Bucky pulled his last grenade from his harness and blew a hole in the glass dome. Shards fell to the ground but Sam was able to fly them both through before any could make contact. Inside the dome, a long metal walkway on all four sides led to a centre console in which the microchips were housed. Bucky was gently placed onto the inside the railings of the pathway.   
“Get Steve and get out of here. Once I’ve put the chip in, tell Maria to light the bastards up. Do not wait for me, ya hear?”   
“But Bucky-” Steve protested over the com.   
“Go. Now.”

Sam paused, drinking in the serious and noble expression on his new comrade’s face. Furrowed brows, dark eyes and a jutted jaw all depicted an all too familiar emotion to him. Sam held out a hand and Bucky’s mouth parted a little. Noticing the surprised expression on his face, Sam chuckled.   
“You shake it.” He said.   
“I know,” Bucky rolled his eyes, smiling, “I just…” Something inside made him hesitate; there was something so final, so definitive, about the forthcoming gesture. It was a sign of Sam’s trust and loyalty and respect. Sam trusted him. Finally.

Bucky shook the man’s hand and watched him leap over the railing afterwards. At the sound of something hitting the floor he turned and saw that Thorn had found him. She was even more terrifying still than when moving. Her red hair was dishevelled and as wild as the eyes in her head that were watching him furiously. She had pulled the swords from her back, which turned out to be katanas, and her knuckles were white due to the ferocity with which she held them. Despite her intense gaze, Bucky couldn’t help but feel as though she were instead looking through him, as he had once done to so many.

“Thorn… Listen to me…” He began, watching her grip on the blades tightening at his words.   
“There is no Thorn here.” She hissed, though with more vindictiveness than denial. Her voice was hollow and dry.   
“Yes. There is. Your name is Regina Th-”  
“Barnes, stop.” Fury shouted over the headset – he had made it to the Triskellion clearly.   
“Everyone in STAR was given a codename when they joined to protect their identity – her name really isn’t Thorn. That won’t do you any favours.” Bucky looked into her eyes and saw the same emptiness he once felt.

“I’m so sorry they did this to you.” He said before taking a step forward. He knew now that they were going to be forced to fight - again. Pertinently, Thorn spun around and swung the katanas simultaneously. She narrowly missed Bucky with both attempts and heard the sound of her blades slicing through the metal hand rail by which he had been stood.

The blow came from behind and knocked her to the ground. Bucky had swung over the handrail and hopped behind Thorn before lifting himself up and thrusting his feet into her lower back. He took the opportunity to turn away, punching the 4-numbered code into the keypad and opening up the server console.

The shelves of HYDRA algorithm blades slid into place but Bucky wasn’t watching. He’d returned his focus to Thorn immediately afterwards, knowing she wouldn’t be down for long. He was right. Thorn had picked up her katana, the other having tumbled over the edge of the metal floor, and was aiming it at him, albeit with a bleeding nose. She held the tip between her thumb and palm before leaping into the sky and bringing it down.

Bucky’s metal arm halted her blade where it had attempted to slice through his skull and he used it to grab the sword and twist it around. Thorn, however, had learnt from past experiences and instead of allowing him to get a hold on her again, she released the sword and lunged at him. Bucky felt Thorn’s surprising strength throw him to the floor and he struggled under her weight as she regained the blade from his hand.

Pressing the katana against his jugular, Thorn forced Bucky to stop moving.   
“Please…” He groaned but the agent was unmoved. In fact, she even pressed it a little harder into his throat. He was forced to take more drastic measure and so curled his knees up. In one fluid movement, Bucky flipped Thorn over the balcony and she topped towards the glass underneath. A resounding thud told him she had hit it but the moan of pain informed him she was still alive. Wasting no time, Bucky stood and opened the leather pouch on his belt.

“1 minute.” Maria relayed through the earbud.   
“Bucky, how’re you doing?” Steve asked.   
“Almost there. I’ve just got to-” Bucky screamed as a wretched pain scorched his shoulder. Lowering himself to the floor, he took a multitude of deep breaths to try and cope with the pain. Meanwhile, Steve continued to shout through the com system, alarmed at Bucky’s cry.   
“Bucky? Bucky!”   
“I’m… I’m fine…” He assured him, standing up on shaky legs and using the nearby railing to steady himself. The knife that Thorn had thrown was lodged into his shoulder but he knew better than to pull it out – better to keep the blood inside his body whilst he could.

Slowly, he took a step forward and fumbled with the chip in the pouch. His hand was a little bloody, from God knows which wound, but it wouldn’t stop him. His quivering fingers removed the server blade and let it tumble to the floor. As he watched it falling, he saw Thorn picking up the katana that had fallen to the floor earlier.   
“30 seconds Barnes.” Maria stated.   
“Working on it!” He growled back, scrambling up and pulling the SHIELD chip from his pocket.

If he turned his back on Thorn, he would risk being stabbed in the back but without the chip, thousands of people would die. Bucky bit his lip and did all that he could think to do. He was wasting precious time but he had no choice. As quickly as he could, he pulled his last pistol from its holster and shot Thorn in her shoulder. She screamed and fell to the floor, bleeding onto the glass, whilst Bucky turned away, pulling the server chip from its pouch.   
“Barnes!” Maria cried through the intercom as thousands of red dots lined up on the screen. Bucky pushed the chip into place.

“Charlie locked.” He said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky rescues Thorn but at what cost? How far will he go to keep her safe on account of his guilt?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little worried that this story isn't too good - it's not as popular as some of my other works and I'm putting more effort into it so I'd appreciate any feedback you guys could give me. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy.

“Bucky, get out of there!” Steve cried. Bucky hopped over the railing and landed less than gently on the glass below. Thorn was storming towards him despite her injured shoulder, scooping up a piece of glass along the way.  
“Little busy here Cap.” He muttered as he engaged with her. The agent thrust the shard every which way he let her, each time only just missing his skin. The sound of their attacks echoed through the empty dome, each clang and thwack reverberating with sickening length.  
“Hill, what’re you doing?”

“There’s still time, you can-”  
“Hill!” He insisted, suffering a cut to the cheek as a result of his multitasking. Thorn seized the opportunity and ducked, landing a punch on his gut that winded him. She abandoned her weapon for the time being and began to brutally and relentlessly attack him. After a while, Bucky gave up. He was transfixed by the grey eyes he had once trusted to save him as they now sought to destroy him. The bandana had sunk to her neck, revealing an array of bruises and cuts, not all of which he recognised. His mind wandered to HYDRA and what they must have done to her. They likely tortured her, forced her, one of the bravest women he ever knew, into submission.

“Thorn…” He said, his tongue thick and numb in his mouth and saturated with blood. She lashed out at him again.  
“My name is not-” Thorn grunted as the shield hit her torso and flung her aside where she rolled away a little, groaning. Bucky turned to see Sam lifting Steve into the dome.  
“What’re you doing?” He barked. The sound of the guns from each helicarrier turning and firing was beginning to ring out in all of their ears – Hill had started the process.  
“Getting you out of here, jerk.” Steve grinned, despite the situation.

They didn’t have time to argue however as the helicarrier proceeded to fall apart around them.  
“Let’s go.” Sam insisted, marching towards the hole they had entered through.  
“Not yet, I’m going back for Thorn.”  
“You can’t save her, Buck.” Steve said, placing a hand on his friend’s forearm. “They’ve messed with her head – she won’t remember herself, let alone you.” He continued but Bucky stared him down.  
“You wanted to help me and she’s no different. I won’t leave her.” He ripped himself out of Steve’s grip and hurried towards the unconscious woman.

Steve made to follow only for a large piece of equipment to fall from the sky. Sam only just pulled him out of the way in time.  
“Steve, we’ve gotta go.” Wilson said. Despite the many protests of his friend, he was eventually able to drag the super soldier out and fly him to safety. Thorn grumbled when she felt herself being moved. Bucky rolled her over and examined her. There were several wounds on her body but she was alive.  
“Thorn? Thorn, listen we have to-”

Her fist collided with his jaw and sent him back onto his butt.  
“Thorn, please. You don’t know what you’re doing.” He protested.  
“Yes, I do. This is my mission. I _will_ complete it.” She spat, lurching towards him. He stumbled back in response and held up his hands.  
“But it doesn’t make sense, does it? This mission; it seems empty and wrong, right?” She paused. “I know. I know what it’s like and it’s horrid. It feels like somebody’s taken your brain right out of your head and messed with it. It feels like they’re poking and prodding at it, making you move like a goddamn circus animal. Like some little puppet that dances for their amusement, a little puppet that kills for their personal gain.”

Thorn could feel herself tearing up but she had no idea why. The tears felt foreign in her eyes, the act of them escaping down her cheeks felt wrong and disgusting.  
“It’s not you, Thorn. You’re not doing this, and you damn well don’t have to.” He said but that pushed her over the edge. Shaking her head, she leapt at him and wrapped her hands around his throat.  
“I am in control. Do you hear me? I make my decisions!” She screamed, the tears that prickled her vision streaming down her face.  
“Do you?” Bucky managed to choke back. The feeling of her grip loosening, if only slightly, was a welcome release and a good sign.

Mirroring his earlier actions, he used his feet to push her away from him and she slid across the glass, just as another explosion caused more debris to fall from the sky. Both Thorn and Bucky could feel the helicarrier sinking and plummeting to the ground yet it seemed to be too slow for it to be real. Bucky couldn’t waste any more time. He recited as much as he could remember from Maria’s laptop in the hopes it would help.  
“Your name is Regina Thorn. You were born in Michigan on the 9th of April, 1993. You have a brother who lives in Washington and a sister who died 7 years ago in a car crash. You joined SHIELD the first chance you got and were captured by HYDRA trying to save me.” He shouted over the riotous soundtrack of explosions that was filling the air.

Thorn stopped again. The words seemed honest and true but it didn’t make sense, nothing did. She could feel something stirring within her, something old and new that was trying to break free.  
“This happened to you… because of me. What they did to you they had done to me, and would’ve done again.  
“You saved my life.” He looked at her with wide and teary eyes, praying for her to remember harder than he’d ever wished for anything. She looked helpless and confused and weaker than before and it was an unsettling sight. Before either of them could say anything more, however, a horrifying crack from above their heads caught their attention. Bucky lunged forward as the large metal beam descended but it wasn’t enough.

The glass beneath them shattered and the two fell through. Thorn felt her hand brush against metal and presumed it was more debris, only to feel her body jolt in mid-air. She looked up and saw Bucky grasping onto the helicarrier with one hand and her wrist in the other. _Bucky_. This was the man she had rescued. She had rescued him from HYDRA and then been captured herself. And then….

Her stomach churned and she wanted to throw up. How many people had she killed? In the last hour alone! It was revolting. _She_ was revolting. She wasn’t the same person any more, how could she be?  
“Let me go.” She all but wept to Bucky. When he looked down at her, he could tell by the look in her eyes that the Thorn he knew was back.  
“I won’t. I’m not letting you go again.” He said, smiling weakly in an attempt to reassure both her and himself.

“Please…” She continued, staring down at the violent waters beneath them as the helicarrier plummeted towards the river.  
“Let me go. I don’t want to remember – I don’t want to know what I’ve done, who I’ve… I’ve…”  
“You have to, Thorn. It’s the only way you’ll be sure of who you are.” He shouted over the failing engines. It was at that moment that Bucky did something he thought he’d never do. His metal hand clicked and whirred as he tightened it around her wrist. There was no way she could wriggle free and he couldn’t let go unless he absolutely wanted to.  
“Please…” She begged, looking up at him once more.

“Let me go.”

“I won’t. I can’t.” He said, feeling sickeningly guilty over what he was being forced to do. He had been certain it was the right thing to do but the more he looked into those pleading grey eyes, the more he questioned everything around him.

Bucky hadn’t seen what had happened to the katana after Thorn had dropped it but it must have been nearby when they tumbled through the glass. The sound of a blade cutting through skin, muscle, and bone was not one that Bucky was ever likely to forget. It was a mixture of slicing, crunching, and cracking all at once and seemed to go on for an eternity as he watched. Driven by a fatal blend of bewilderment, desperation, and guilt, Thorn did the unthinkable. Craving release to such a degree, she was willing to cut through her own wrist to be free of Bucky’s grasp.

She howled like a wild animal as she cut through her limb but did so with enough speed that her turmoil was somewhat short lived. Bucky watched her falling figure with horror and shock until he released the severed limb and dived after her without a second thought.

By the time the water welcomed him, it was running red with blood. In the murky depths, Bucky could just make out Thorn’s body that was sinking away from him. Using the little strength he had left, he ignored the pains of his injured body and swam for all he was worth. When he surfaced again, spluttering for breath, Thorn was in his arms – unconscious. A serious laceration to the back of her head worried him. They were closer to the river bank than he would have liked and it was possible that she had hit her head.

“Bucky? Bucky, talk to me.” The earpiece was sputtering and fizzling in his ear, making Steve’s voice crackle.  
“I’m here but Thorn’s hurt, badly.” He looked down at the bleeding stump of her right arm as he spoke.  
“Fury’s got a chopper – we’re coming to pick you up.”  
“What about Pierce?” Bucky asked, looking to the sky for his rescue.  
“He’s dead, Bucky. Pierce is dead.”

 

Bucky watched from the window as Thorn awoke in the hospital bed. She’d been lying still for several days but this was the first she had moved, disturbing the short locks of blood-red hair that was dramatically splayed across the pillow. The hospital gown didn’t cover her as much as the jumpsuit had and when the hospital team had cut her out of it, Bucky had been able to see the extent of her wounds. Even after the majority had healed, the sight was still horrendously captivating. Along her arms were the signs of her torture, pale skin attacked and slashed at by a rough blade, leaving patterns in the shape of spirals, like dark, crimson tattoos. They decorated her arms with horrific tessellation, all the way down to her…

The woman opened her eyes fully and took in the scene around her. A picture of sterilisation – white everywhere. Even the lights were a blinding ivory. She turned her head to look around, seeing an array of machinery and wires, all connected to her. On the wall to her right was a door and a large window. A man with long brown hair was stood behind the window wearing a hoody and a cap. His face seemed familiar but she didn’t know why. He watched her with a concerning expression.

Before she could examine anything else, her attention was drawn to the door as it opened. A man with messy black hair wandered into the room with a white coat on over the top of his purple shirt and brown trousers. He didn’t look like a doctor but he pushed his glasses up his nose as though he knew what he was doing.

“Miss Thorn, I’m Doctor Banner.” He smiled although he looked distinctly nervous for some reason.  
“Thorn?” She asked, tilting her head.  
“Yes. That’s… That’s your name.” He said, lowering his brow slightly. He glanced to the man in the window who cocked his head.

“Who’s that?” She asked.  
“That’s… Well, he found you.” Banner explained, pushing the glasses up his nose again.  
“…Found me?” Nothing made any sense and this man wasn’t helping to resolve that.  
“I can see you have a lot of questions. I think it would be better for him to explain.” Doctor Banner turned and left. She couldn’t hear what the two were saying but it couldn’t be described as anything other than heated.  

“What do you mean she doesn’t remember?” Bucky hissed.  
“I mean exactly that. You remember that injury on the back of her head? It must have given her amnesia. There’s no telling if she’ll remember anything – even her name was like a surprise to her.”  
“Well that’s not surprising. It’s not her real name.” Bucky folded his arms.  
“What do you mean it’s not her real name? What the hell is going on Barnes? When Steve called in a favour, this is the last thing I was expecting.” Bucky waved his hands and then scratched his chin.  
“Mr Barnes, she needs answers – what do I tell her?”

The doctor walked back into the room after his “discussion” with dark eyes.  
“I’m afraid he only knew so much. I can offer you some explanation but he’d prefer me to answer your questions.” True to his word, the man in the cap nodded at her before marching away.  
“Alright. What am I allowed to ask?” She whispered, suddenly very aware of how little she knew and how few people were nearby. The one man that might know something, anything, had decided to leave.  
“You can ask whatever you like,” Doctor Banner said, taking a seat on the other side of the room. “But whether I’ll be able to answer it is another matter.”

“What happened to me?” She asked. The Doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  
“You… were in a crash. It left you very badly injured but aside from that, we don’t know.” He said with a low voice and a slow pace. The words should have been devastating but they seemed empty and lost and…. Wrong.  
“Your dental records gave us your name but apart from that, you’re…”  
“Alone.” She finished the sentence that he seemed unable to. Thorn looked down at her arms and examined the spiralling patterns again. She couldn’t think of any type of crash that would leave such specific marks. However, that thought dissipated immediately when she saw her hand.

“What- what is _that_?” She gasped. Thorn didn’t want to move it, even though she didn’t doubt that she could. Her hand was made of metal. It was a sleek, shiny black that looked slightly blue when the light hit it.  
“In the accident, you lost your hand so Stark Industries created this for you.”  
“Stark Industries?” Thorn exclaimed.  
“Oh, yes. Stark Industries is-”  
“No, I know who Tony Stark is,” She assured him. “but why would he make a hand for me?” Doctor Banner paused.  
“I- I wish I could say.” He muttered, standing up.

“Do you have any other questions?” Thorn looked down at her hand again, flexing the fingers and listening to the sound of it whirring with each action.  
“Does it come with any super powers? Like his Iron Man suit?” She smiled, though her eyes were brimming with tears that Doctor Banner couldn’t see. He chuckled.  
“No. Although it is Tony Stark, so don’t rule it out.”

When Bruce finally left the room, he saw that Bucky hadn’t left as it had appeared. He was sat on a seat not too far down the corridor with Steve on his left, the latter with a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Bucky’s head had been in his hands but he looked up when Banner entered the corridor.  
“She really doesn’t remember anything?”  
“I’m afraid not.” Bruce confirmed, folding his arms.  
“I’m sorry Buck,” Steve sighed. “But at least now we can focus on getting your memories back.”

“Not yet.” Bucky said, turning his head to ensure that Steve heard him.  
“What? But Buck-”  
“Please, just let me…” His words trailed off and he turned to face Steve, placing a hand on each of his shoulders.  
“Steve, I’m sorry. I know that you want to make sure I’m alright but I am, I promise. I just… I wouldn’t even be here without her. I can’t leave her in this state knowing that she’s in it because of me.”  
“It’s not your fault Mr Barnes.” Bruce assured him. He hadn’t been caught up much on what had happened but he knew enough to be sure.  
“Be that as it may, I just need one more favour.”

When Thorn had been brought into the hospital, Bucky had wanted everything done his way. Steve, in a bid to support him, had ensured this, calling in favours from Stark to make the artificial hand and Banner to be there when she woke up. At first, neither of them were completely willing to help the Winter Soldier but after Steve’s insistence that he was on their side, they complied. Steve looked at his feet, disappointed. He’d been hoping to talk with Bucky after this had ended and find out everything that he knew, not to mention help him to recover. Ever since the day Thorn had rescued him, Bucky hadn’t had a chance to relax or recuperate. As his friend, Steve felt guilty that he’d been denied that. Yet he also knew, as his friend, it was his job to help him no matter what.

“Alright, Buck,” Steve said with a thin-lipped smile. “I’m with you.”  
“‘til the end of the line.” Bucky said, watching his friend’s eyes widen. He remembered. Not everything was there and it all needed piecing together but he remembered. Steve gathered Bucky into a hug and the two let all their differences and hesitations fall away in that moment. When they separated, Steve was beaming.

“What do you need?” He asked.  
“Maria. I’d like to see her laptop once more, the one she had in Fury’s hideout.”

Thorn puttered about her house, or at least the building they had said was her house. Nothing seemed familiar or showed any sign of use yet what reason did she have to doubt that this had been her home at some point? The photo frames were filled with pictures of her and other people, none of whom she recognised, and even the image of herself was foreign. Her hair currently was a tidy bob that was a deep, dark auburn whereas in the pictures, it was long and a light brown.

The bed looked untouched and spotless, two pillows at the head and a baby blue duvet covering the mattress. Apparently any of the belongings she had during the ‘crash’ were destroyed or lost – she couldn’t remember which word they had used. Did it matter? She sat on the bed and let herself sink into the mattress. Thorn was alone. The empty air was silent and thin, the rest of the house groaned with sterility, and the outside world taunted her, mocked her. Thorn brought her hands up to her face to cry, only to see the metal hand on the end of her scarred right arm. It dried up any and all tears. She let her human fingers graze the soft metal of the other, letting it familiarise with the smooth, sleek design and the glossy appearance. For something she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with, it felt so alien.

Bucky sat on the hillside, watching over the house below. Thorn was just visible on the end of her bed, examining her new limb and Bucky’s heart wrenched at the sight. He couldn’t begin to imagine how she was feeling, knowing that his experience had been so different, but he just hoped that she wouldn’t be as angry as he was – anger is a dangerous thing when you think you’re alone. That is why he’d vowed to watch over her, to make sure she was calm and settled. When he was sure that she was okay, then he would leave her.

That way she would be safe – safe from HYDRA, safe from the Avengers, safe from him. Without her memories she was vulnerable but Thorn also had the opportunity to start again, not something he’d been blessed with. Once she had become accustomed to her new life then Bucky could step away and allow her to live as peacefully as he could make it. He reached into his breast pocket and retrieved a photo. It was horribly folded and a little crumpled but it was the one souvenir he had taken and would treasure.

Maria’s laptop had a variety of photos which he had placed inside the photo frames of the safe house – but this was his favourite. It looked like some sort of office party but he couldn’t be sure. Either way, Thorn was smiling and looked at the camera with a graceful beauty, a calm authority that told him she was happy and relaxed in that moment. This was his inspiration, his model, and he hoped that one day Thorn would be restored to this former glory.

Until then, he would wait.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky gets a little too close to Thorn for her own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long!

Wake up. Empty. Sleep. Wake up. Nothing. Sleep. Wake up. Hollow. Sleep. Repeat as necessary.

That’s how Thorn felt as of late. It had been several months since she’d woken up in the hospital – 3, to be exact – though it felt more like years had passed. She could remember little about the accident, or any time before for that matter, and so had been attending regular group therapy sessions at the library where other memory loss victims talked about what they could and couldn’t remember.

Some people made excellent progress and even left with more memories than they came in with – like Mark Stemson, for example. He’d been a flight attendant on a plane that crashed and it left him with devastating amnesia. Last week, he’d left remembering the time that he and little Timmy were playing down by the river as children.

Others, like Thorn, were still in the same rut.   
“But that’s okay,” The instructor, Janet, said at the beginning of each session, “Because it doesn’t matter what we can and cannot remember. All that matters is that we are trying. Maybe we don’t find them – maybe our memories will find us. Perhaps in the form of a forgotten friend or relative who comes calling or a sudden flashback one day. Who knows? All I can say is that we will all be there for each other as and when that happens.” Thorn had always found Janet sickeningly optimistic.

And then there were the nightmares.

They weren’t frequent, but when they did arise, they were terrifying. Thorn would wake up in the middle of the night sweating and stiff. Her limbs felt like putty and her brain like television static. Every time, it would be the same images. Black. Then red. Red with legs… and a skull. A face. Eyes. Tired eyes? Scared eyes… Her eyes… Then silver. Oh, the beautiful silver. Black again.

Then Thorn would wake up. Every morning she could still remember the eyes that were presumably hers, staring forward with a frightening intensity. They penetrated her core, leaving her breathless and afraid. It would take two cups of tea and multiple biscuits to calm her nerves, and all the while she couldn’t help but feel as though she were being watched… by the same eyes…

It never made sense so she never thought anything of it. In her spare time, Thorn had begun to frequent the book store. The calm atmosphere and simple silence provided a very soothing place for her to visit. It was there that she met _him_.

Thorn let her fingers drag across the spines of the novels lining the shelves, casting her eyes across the titles for something that stood out to her. Her other hand, the one that looked like something from a sci-fi film, was gloved and in her jacket pocket. It was practically a habit now for her to hide it.

The older books were better, she liked the old ones. The worn covers, the smell of the love and care that had gone into their production, and the rustic look that gave them a certain charm. She pulled a red leather-bound book from the shelf and flicked through its pages. Normally she would be more concentrated but something had caught her attention; it felt like a sixth-sense that had suddenly kicked into gear. Thorn replaced the book and picked up another, catching the source for her distress just before he vanished.

A man with messy black hair had been looking at her. A voice in her head told her that she was mistaken – that he was simply perusing the shelves – but with every book she pulled out, he was there, just disappearing from sight. Thorn sighed indignantly and strutted around the shelf to the next row. Nothing. The next aisle was also free of anybody remotely matching his appearance. Finally, she reached the row furthest away and there he stood. He was facing marginally away from her, revealing the profile of his face.

Thorn eyed him, drinking in his appearance and stature. He was tall and sturdy, though the jeans and grey hoodie he was wearing didn’t necessarily show it all that well. His dark mane fell just above his shoulder and looked as though it hadn’t been washed in days. A thin layer of stubble decorated his shapely chin that was revealed when he tucked a piece of his hair behind his ear. He stood with a book in his hand, looking far too engrossed in it to be actually reading. When he turned the page, Thorn saw a flash of silver as the room’s lights bounced off of his metal fingers. She shifted her own prosthetic limb sub-consciously.

Was he an ex-vet? Or maybe he was like her. Either way, she had to know.   
“Hi there.” She said, as quietly as she could get away with. The man didn’t move. Thorn cleared her throat.   
“Hello.” She said louder. He didn’t even flinch. She tilted her head and examined the book he was reading – Treasure Planet – and grinned. It was upside down.   
“I know you can hear me.”   
“Then why persist?” He muttered. It wasn’t the response she had been expecting but it was better than nothing.

“I want to talk to you. You were watching me earlier?”  
“You must be mistaken.”   
“I rarely am.” Thorn said before she could stop herself. In reality, she didn’t know if that were true or not – it had spilled out of her mouth almost accidentally. Apparently the man could see the alarm on her face and closed his book.   
“You alright?” He asked.   
“I’m not sure.”

“I should go.” He huffed and placed the book back onto the shelf. Thorn picked it up and replaced it the right way around before following the man out of the door.   
“Wait!” She called out but he was storming across the road into the city centre with a speed she couldn’t match. The man had seemed so familiar and, even after talking to him for a barely a few moments, she had recalled something about herself previously unknown to her numb mind. She followed him all the way to the town centre where a plaza with a fountain lay. However, upon arriving she realised that he was no longer in sight and Thorn was left reeling as she searched for the shaggy-haired stranger.

The town square bore a cobbled floor and in the centre was an extravagant fountain that sent a gentle spray of water cascading into the air. Various shops – bakeries, confectioners, and tailors – bordered the plaza and it was atop one of these that Bucky sat, watching Thorn spin round and around in search of him. Eventually she gave up and sat herself on the edge of the fountain, letting her hand fall lazily into the water.

 _That was too close,_ he thought. It had been 3 months since he’d begun watching over her and he was still unable to pull himself away: what had initially been a mission had become something… more. Thorn had begun searching for answers at a local support group – that had been the first warning sign for Bucky – and then he noticed that she was restless. Whilst camping out on the hillside by her house, he saw that Thorn woke in the early hours of the morning and wouldn’t sleep afterwards. A few more stake outs proved that it was a regular occurrence, after a particular distressing display that Bucky put down to nightmares. The situation was incredibly alarming. Either way, she needed him.

Thorn seemed so helpless and lost and, knowing that someone was dependent on him, gave Bucky an odd feeling. Though she didn’t know and couldn’t ask for it, Bucky knew that Thorn needed his help. It was nice, not having to depend on other people for a change. When he was with Steve he felt mollycoddled and weak, and with HYDRA he hadn’t been needed or depended on, rather relied upon, which, in his head, were two disparate things.

A few days passed before Thorn ran into Bucky again. He was getting sloppy, and part of him guessed as to why. Despite how detrimental it could be to her current safety, Bucky still wanted to see her. Finding somebody that had been through so many of the same experiences and shared so many of the same feelings as him was a rare experience so it was natural that he would be drawn to them.

The book store was emptier today save for himself, the clerk and Thorn, who had wandered in a few minutes beforehand. He picked up a book from the shelf and opened it, catching sight of Thorn through the parallel gap in the shelf. He took his book and wandered over to a nearby seat. He hadn’t seen what book it was that had been picked up but saw that it contained many black and white photos.

“History nut, huh?” A voice then said. _Shit_ , Bucky thought. He looked up and saw Thorn looking at him, a pile of books in her arms.   
“You could say that.” He sighed. Thorn placed her books down on the table in front of them and took the chair to his left. Bucky took the opportunity to check the cover of the book he had mindlessly picked up – “ _The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler._ ” How apt.

“We didn’t get to talk much the other day.” She said, picking up one of her own books and opening it. Bucky said nothing, turning the page.   
“You’re not going to talk much today either, are you?” She asked. Bucky prolonged his silence, staring fiercely at his book though the words didn’t go in. He’d read the same sentence over and over. “ _In private discussions in 1939, Hitler declared Britain the main enemy to be defeated and that Poland's obliteration was a necessary prelude for that goal._ ” Thorn sighed.   
“Never mind.” She gathered her books into her arms again and stood. “Nice meeting you.”

The bell signalled that Thorn had left the shop and Bucky sighed before shutting the book and leaning back in his chair. That was _far_ too close. The sound of somebody clearing their throat behind him drew his attention and he whirled around. The book clerk, an old woman of about 60 with greying hair wonderfully styled, stood behind him.   
“Forgive my impertinence,” She whispered, “but that young lady showed a clear interest in you. In my day, you’d be called a fool for ignoring her.”

“Believe me, I want to but I can’t.” The woman snorted.   
“Nonsense, my dear boy. I’ve seen you in here multiple times and you’ve been fascinated by her from the start.”   
“Fascinated is not the word I would use.” He growled, growing severely annoyed at this woman’s persistence.   
“I’ve been around long enough to know love when I see it.” She said and Bucky stood, knocking the chair over simultaneously.

“Good day.” He snarled before storming out of the bookstore.

As he leapt across the rooftops to follow Thorn home, Bucky felt the phone in his pocket vibrate and retrieved it. Steve’s caller ID flashed up on the screen, above a little envelope icon and the number 1. Bucky read the message.   
_Ultron gone. New members. You should meet them._

 _Busy._ Bucky replied, before abruptly putting his phone away. If his meeting with Thorn had been as detrimental as he feared, then there was no way he could leave now. Steve would complain at first, as per usual, but he would also remember how important this was to him and would understand. Bucky couldn’t remember a lot about his past, but that was the one thing which always bled through:   
Steve would understand.

So when, Bucky saw armed men storming Thorn’s house the next day, he knew exactly who to call.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Thorn meet again, but under less than ideal circumstances.

Bucky blinked. The lights were warm and soft, gentle clouds of cigar smoke wafting through the air. Everywhere he looked there were smiling faces and laughter and joy. A wooden floor paved the way to the centre of the hallway where many people joined together to dance to the music. Stepping forward, Bucky could hear his shoes clicking on the floor and he looked down. He was wearing an olive green uniform and could feel a hat on his head.

“Hey there, jerk.” Somebody said and Bucky whirled around. Steve stood behind him in a uniform that couldn’t have been more different from his own. Red, white, and blue with a star in the middle.   
“You punk.” He said, walking forward with a chuckle. The two embraced and patted each other on the back.   
“Where are we?” Bucky asked after the two parted.   
“Where do you think? We did it Buck! The war’s over. We won.”

Bucky stepped back a little.   
“We… won?”   
“Yeah, Buck. And I think someone wants to celebrate with you.” Steve smiled. Bucky cocked his head to the side, only for Steve to point over his shoulder. Spinning around, Bucky’s mouth fell open.   
“Evening, Cap.”   
“Ma’am.” He said before turning around and leaving.

Thorn’s hair was its natural colour - a wave of honey that fell just below her shoulders. It was styled into victory curls that brushed against the material of her royal blue dress. The garment had a white collar and buttons that ran down the front.

She held out her hands to him. A pair of white cuffs ended at her wrists where, he noticed, there was a distinct lack of prosthetics. When he lifted his own hands to place in hers, he noted that he too had both hands. Why was that strange? Why shouldn’t he have both hands? And why shouldn’t she? _This woman._ Who was she? Thorn, he had called her. Was that her name? She seemed familiar.

Her fingers locked with his and she pulled him forward. Bucky wrapped his arm around her waist and took her hand with his. They danced and swayed and soon her head rested on his shoulder. They moved comparatively slower to the rest of the hall.

Her hand moved up to hold the back of his neck and he sighed. Bucky looked up and let his eyes meet hers. A smile formed on her red lips as they spoke the words:   
“Hail HYDRA.” And suddenly the world went cold. Thorn faded away and Bucky wanted to scream. Where had she gone? He couldn’t lose her! Not again. He felt an excruciating pain that threatened to tear his head apart. His hair began to grow in front of his face and stopped by his shoulders. Peering through his now long tresses, he watched his left arm fall to the ground and a silver one grow in its place. He screamed.  

Bucky sat up, drenched in sweat and panting. His metal arm was clutching a piece of grass and had yanked a chunk of earth from the ground. The soil crumbled beneath his fingers. Tossing it aside, he sighed in relief and looked around. The sun was just coming up and looking to the side, he could see that he wasn’t the only one awake. The curtains were open in Thorn’s house and she was pottering about in the bedroom.

Shortly after, the front door opened and Thorn wandered out. She was wearing a flannel shirt and a pair of sweatpants, into the pockets of which she tucked a purse and an mp3 player. Placing earbuds into her ears, Thorn made her way down the street. Bucky sat up and rolled his sleeping bag up, packing it into the large rucksack to his left. He would have to hurry if he was going to catch up to her before she reached her destination.

He finished packing up the campsite and placed the backpack in its usual hiding spot behind a bush. He then placed a few large branches over it just in case. When he turned around, Thorn was a mere speck in the distance. Yet that was not what caught his eye. 10. No, 11. No, 12 men were forcing their way into Thorn’s house via the front door. They wore black and carried menacingly large guns in their hands. Judging by the other cracking sounds that emanated up the hillside, they were not alone.

Bucky retrieved his rucksack and pulled an array of weapons out. He had packed lighter than usual, not having expected to run into any trouble, but it would do the job. He turned around to see more and more men now arriving, filing their way into the house. Bucky sighed. These were not going to do the job. Pulling the cell phone from his pocket, he scrolled through his contacts list.

Thorn whistled the catchy tune to herself as she made her way to the shop. Making a cup of tea and realising halfway through that she’d run out of milk was a horrifying feeling. So she grabbed her purse and her iPod and left in search of a shop. She vaguely remembered discovering one nearby after getting lost on a walk a few weeks ago. She still wasn't used to being back 'home'.

As she reached the shop, a sputtering sound that sounded like a jet caught her attention. Thorn looked up to the sky and saw what looked like a large bird soaring over the building…

Steve’s motorbike chugged to a halt just down the road from the address that Bucky had texted him. His friend stood in the middle of the road, adjusting a knife strapped to a holster on his leg.   
“I gotta say,” Steve said as he dismounted the vehicle, “I was surprised to get your call.”   
“I’ve been a little out of touch. Sue me.” Bucky said with a devilish grin as he hugged Steve.   
“But you’re alright? You’re okay out here? I haven’t seen you, Buck.”   
“I’m fine. But now’s not the time, we gotta find out what’s going on.”

Steve’s shield made little work of the door that the men had attempted to fix back onto its hinges. Once they were inside, though, a swarm of armed gunmen greeted them.   
“Well, well,” A voice from amongst them said. “This _is_ unexpected.”

A balding man with aviator reading glasses stepped out from the masses. He was wearing a dark emerald suit and walked with a bejewelled cane that clashed horribly.   
“Who are you?”  
“Captain Rogers, I am offended. You wouldn’t fail to spot HYDRA for a second time, would you?” He hissed and Bucky saw Steve’s shield waver.   
“But… SHIELD, we destroyed it. HYDRA went down too.”

“On the contrary. Did you think that HYDRA was forming solely in SHIELD? We must have overestimated your deductive capabilities.”   
“Enough talk.” Bucky snapped.   
“Ah yes, the Winter Soldier. Our own little science project.” The man cackled. “Eager for a fight, are we?” Neither of the men moved save for stealing a small, anxious glance at each other.   
“Well, you needn’t look so worried.” Apparently, they hadn’t been as subtle as they might have liked. “We needn't spill blood today. Just hand over the girl and we will be on our way.”

“The girl?!” Bucky exclaimed, stepping forward but Steve spoke first, halting his steps.   
“Something tells me you didn’t expect this to be simple. Otherwise, you wouldn’t need all this muscle.”   
“We couldn’t be sure what state she would be in. The woman is a weapon and will be most useful once she is back under our command. But we needed to ensure that that happened as swiftly as possible, hence the firepower.” The man said, swinging his cane around to gesture to his men. One particularly nasty looking man met Steve’s gaze and snarled.

“You’re not getting the girl.” Bucky growled.   
“O-ho! The Winter Soldier has melted. What are we now? The Summertime Soldier? Dancing around in flower crowns with rainbow and glitter? You are in no position to be making demands.” The man sneered, alongside a few chuckles from his mercenaries. Luckily, a few of them still looked apprehensive. Two of the most infamous soldiers in the world were standing before them, looking pissed off. That was a sign to be cautious for most people.

“We won’t let you take her.” Steve said, with a little more nobility than Bucky’s previous snarl.   
“Is that so?” The man leered, swinging his cane around a little more. “If you insist. Boys?” The men’s guns clicked into life as they stood and took aim. Steve lifted his shield and Bucky tensed, still trying to count the men that were filling the room. The man in the suit grinned and took a step back.   
“Go to work.” He said and the battle began.

Sam Wilson kicked a pebble across the rooftop of the shop. Steve had called him not long ago, asking for a favour: Bucky had made contact with an emergency. It had something to do with the girl, Thorn. After the address arrived via text, Sam had suited up and made his way downtown. It hadn’t taken him long to pinpoint her, dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a flannel shirt. She was completely oblivious to his presence as she listened to her music.

The sound of the shop doors sliding open was the sign for him to get back in gear. Sam peered over the edge of the rooftop and saw her strolling back home with a plastic bag in her right hand. He also noted that she was wearing a pair of leather gloves, despite the sublime weather.   
“Steve? You copy? Thorn’s leaving. She’s coming back to you.” He said into an earpiece. No response. “Steve?”

The coms remained silent and Falcon tried once more to get some orders from Steve.   
“Shit.” He muttered. Spreading his wings, Sam leapt into the air. He flew after Thorn, who walked with surprising speed.

Steve and Bucky fought viciously, battering anyone that threatened to get in their way. The man with the bejewelled cane had long since disappeared but he was the least of their worries. They had to deal with these men before Thorn got back or else risk her safety. A distant voice called out Steve’s name but they both ignored it for the sake of their goal.  

Men in black shot at them from all directions. Others, the few with sense (or lack thereof), decided to try hand to hand combat. _That ended well for them._ Bodies gradually piled up but still the amount of HYDRA gunmen was incessant. Bucky heard a shout and battled his way over just in time to defend Steve’s life. A bullet had pierced his shoulder.  Thorn’s house was not the most ideal place to be battling. The cluttered and cramped space made it much too difficult to defend.

As Bucky helped Steve to his feet, Sam’s voice lifted over the riotous gunfire.   
“Steve!” Sam was shouting. “Thorn is coming up fast. She’s a few doors down, what do I do?”   
“Sam, you need to-” Steve began. He was cut off when the same brute he had locked eyes with earlier rushed towards him, stabbing blindly. Sam was still asking for directions, wanting to know what to do. Gunfire resounded throughout the room and Bucky felt everything go blurry as he hesitated.

He could see red. The fog closed in. The Winter Soldier took over.

Steve watched as his friend became some sort of machine. Bucky began to fight his way through the hordes of men as though they were non-existent. He knew the minute Bucky started fighting that something was different, something was off. The way he fought – he’d only seen him attack like that one other time in his life.   
“Bucky!” He groaned but the Winter Soldier was away, barrelling through the men with too much ease.

The Winter Soldier fought with blind rage, storming through the sea of black and red with ease. He began to grin as their blood smattered his clothing and their cries filled his ears. Until something else broke through.   
“Bucky, please! We have to go, there’s too many of them.”

Turning to the side, Bucky saw Steve backed against the wall, only just managing to hold the men off. Bucky threw a knife from his holster and took out one of them but it wasn’t enough. “Cut off one limb and two more will take its place”, where Bucky killed one man, two more seemed to arrive. How had HYDRA grown this strong without anyone noticing?

Suddenly, a flash of light sent Bucky plummeting to the ground. He tucked his head into his arms as the beam of light shot through the room, destroying all those in its wake. Looking up, Bucky could see Steve curling up on the floor too as the HYDRA gunmen continued to drop to the floor.

Silence soon descended upon the room and the panting super soldiers stood up. Tony lifted the mask off of his suit.    
“Now, does either one of you want to tell me what the hell is going on?”   
“Stark, I’ve never been so glad to see you in all my life.”  
“Oh stop Rogers, you’ll make me blush.” The billionaire grinned.

Corpses decorated the crimson-stained carpet which now matched the walls. A horrific stench of putrid flesh thickened the air and threatened to choke them all.   
“Looks like it was a good thing I came.” Stark said, peering over one of the dead men and giving him a gentle kick.   
“Yeah, about that. Who called you?” Steve asked.

“I did.” Another voice called out. Sam was folding his wings away as he entered the room, covering his mouth when the putrid odor greeted his nostrils.   
“Sam? If you’re here, then-”  
“That’s what I was trying to tell you.” He barked.

The plastic bag crashed to the ground, spilling milk everywhere. It mixed with the river of blood that decorated Thorn’s carpet and turned it a sickening pink. Thorn’s mouth was open, her eyes were watery, and her body was convulsing.

“So!” Stark cried, navigating past all the corpses that stood between him and Thorn. “You must be the girl I’ve heard so little about.”    
“Tony…” Steve said with a low voice.   
“Let’s get a look at your hand then.” He beamed, taking her right hand into his own. She flinched but didn’t recoil, letting Stark take her shaking hand and remove the glove.

Sam gasped at the sight.   
“I don’t mean to brag but this is perhaps one of the best things I’ve ever made.” He said. Thorn’s wide eyes turned away from him. She looked at the carcasses which littered her home and to the men standing amongst them. She recognised the man with the shaggy hair, though he looked so different. Blood drenched his clothing and it even dripped from strands of his hair. Not to mention the few wounds he had of his own.

“So sleek,” Stark continued, “So precise. And the technology is different too.” He grinned.   
“Unlike Mother Russia over there, it’s not all wires and nervous system connections. This stuff is all programmed into a microchip that taps into the frequency of the brainwaves. Quite impressive, quite impressive.” He spoke as if he was admiring the work of an artist but Thorn had tuned out. Her eyes were fixated on Bucky who watched her with equal concern. Stark dropped her hand.   
“So anyway, I imagine this isn’t the first time you’ve seen this many bodies. Fancy giving us a hand with the clear up?” He asked, picking up one of the men by his feet.   
“Tony!” Steve yelled and the man in iron turned.   
“What?”

Thorn collapsed in the doorway. Immediately Sam and Bucky leapt towards her, eager to check she was okay. Her red hair, which had grown a little longer over the last three months fanned out behind her head. She lay on the pathway leading up to her front door, her feet still inside the house. Bucky knelt next to her and brushed the soft strands of hair from her face.   
“Good job asshole.” Bucky growled, letting Sam pick up Thorn.   
“What did I do?” Tony protested but nobody was listening to him now.   
“Sam, get Thorn back to base, Cho can see to her there.” Steve directed. Sam spread his wings and took off as fast as he could whilst still holding onto Thorn.

“Bucky, you and I will head back to the base too but we’ll take the bike.”    
“Alright, but I want to make a stop first. Left some stuff on the hillside.”   
“Fine. Stark?” Tony looked up. “Clean up here and then meet us later. We’ll explain back at the base.”

Reluctantly, Tony Stark was left to play the maid with the countless bodies lying around him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers discuss the events at Thorn's home whilst they wait for her to become conscious again.

Bucky drummed his metal fingers against the glass table. A tinny pattering sound resonated throughout the room as a result. Steve placed a hand on his friend’s and heard everyone sigh when the tapping stopped.   
“Sorry…” Bucky muttered.

The Avengers, or what remained of them, had assembled in the main meeting room of the new base. Windows lined two parallel walls, sunlight spilling through contrary to glum mood inside. A staircase led up to a balcony where a doorway allowed access to the room. Banner was still missing, Thor was on Asgard, and Tony hadn't returned from Thorn's home. Agent Clint Barton was at home with his family though it was the first that Bucky had heard of the agent having a farm.

Another new recruit – Wanda Maximoff – was in the building but didn’t attend the meeting. She didn't feel it was her place, not knowing Bucky or Thorn. Her brother, Pietro, would have joined the team also had he not died during the battle with Ultron. It was one of the reasons that Agent Barton had returned to his family. Pietro died protecting him so he wanted to be with his loved ones whilst he still had them.

Thorn, though alive, was still unconscious and in a ward with a doctor called Helen Cho. Steve, Sam Wilson, Natasha, and Agent Hill – accompanied Bucky around the table. The sound of helicopter blades signalled Fury’s arrival. The air became thick with suspense as they anticipated his arrival.

The doors opened and Fury marched in, his long black coat whipping behind him. He said nothing as he walked down the staircase and even after taking a seat at the table, he remained silent.   
“Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?” He eventually sighed. Bucky cleared his throat.   
“I believe that would be my job.” He said. Fury looked Barnes up and down before humming and leaning back in his chair. However, the others leaned in, eager to hear the reason behind the meeting.   
“Agent Thorn, as you know, suffered severe amnesia after Project Insight was successfully destroyed. She was relocated to a safe house just outside the city where, for the last few months, I watched over her. The safe house was supposed to guarantee that she could live her life in peace and safety.”

“You’re using the word ‘safe’ a lot here, Barnes.” Fury said. “Am I supposed to presume that something happened?”   
“Yes sir. HYDRA happened. It’s still operating.” Bucky said.   
“Well, no shit. What the hell do you think I’ve been doing in Europe, Barnes?”   
“I don’t mean individuals, sir. I mean HYDRA. There’s another section of it that are still working; that was never in SHIELD. They want to use Thorn as a weapon.” Natasha looked to Steve who nodded. Fury’s face remained emotionless but he leaned in and Bucky continued to explain. He described, with the help of Steve, the events that had occurred, including the man with the cane.

Afterwards, there was only silence. Fury scratched his chin.   
“I don’t know how much Thorn remembers, if anything, but she’s in danger.” Bucky said finally.   
“What do they want her for?” Natasha asked. Steve shook his head.    
“We don’t know. Without her memories, she wouldn’t retain her training so it can’t be for combat.”   
“Then it’s something that she has which doesn’t require her memories to be intact.” Hill suggested and Sam, who was seated next to her, nodded enthusiastically. Natasha contemplated it but then shook her head.   
“But it doesn’t make sense.”   
“What doesn’t Nat?”

“Well, the Winter Sol-” Bucky glared at her and the words dissipated.    
“I mean, you escaped months ago and nobody batted an eyelid. Then Thorn escapes, someone they trained up just to cover their losses, and everyone goes berserk. What does she have that you don’t?” Bucky grunted.   
“Flattered, though I am, you have a point.” Sam remembered the shock he felt at seeing Thorn’s metal hand when Stark had removed the glove.   
“Her prosthetic. She had the fake hand thingy.” He said, waving his own hand about to make a point.   
“But I’ve got one of those – hell, they made it themselves. What would they want with another one?”   
“He’s right, Sam.” Hill said, glancing over her shoulder at him. “There’s got to be something else.”

Sam leant back in his chair dejectedly. Before any of them could suggest more ideas, the door at the top of the staircase opened and a calm Dr Cho walked in. Bucky stood up and looked to her for news. She nodded.   
“Agent Thorn is awake.”

 

Steve, Bucky, and Director Fury hurried down the corridor. Fury had insisted on going to see what Thorn could remember - it might prove useful if she could remember things about HYDRA’s plans. She was perhaps one of the few agents still alive, aside from the Winter Soldier, who had been in the heart of the organisation. Bucky, on the other hand, was eager to check that she was alright so Steve had followed for moral support. This is all my fault, Bucky repeated to himself as they rushed to the ward.

When they arrived, they fell into line by a window which allowed them to peer into the room. A table was at the centre of the room with two silver chairs either side. The walls were grey and a fold down bed was up against one of them. Adjacent to the bed with her back against the wall and her knees drawn up was Regina Thorn.   
“This looks more like an interrogation room than a recovery room.” Steve whispered.   
“We’re not running a hotel here, Rogers. It was either here or one of the spare rooms – and they don’t have the same security.”

“Security, be damned.” Bucky growled, marching past them and placing his hand on the door.   
“Bucky, wait. What’re you going to do?” Steve asked. Bucky paused and looked at Steve, realising how erratic his breathing was. He paused and allowed it to normalise, his grip on the door handle subsequently gentling. He was a mess of anger and anxiety.   
“Buck?”

Thorn had run out of tears a few minutes ago and the silent sobbing session had drained her of strength and dignity. Now she resorted to resting her head against the forearms that were wrapped around the top of her knees. Her ears picked up on a small click – someone was in the room. She froze completely and allowed herself to focus on the sound of footsteps padding towards her.

“Hey there…” A gentle and familiar voice said. _Now he wants to talk_ … Thorn thought, looking up at Bucky. Her eyes were puffy and red but still conveyed her rage. He was a few feet away from her, stood with his arms folded. He wore a similar outfit to that which she had seen before passing out – a darkened pair of jeans and a black, tight-fitting shirt. The short sleeves revealed his metal arm. It wasn’t just his hand that was missing. 

“You… alright?” He asked, biting his lip a little. Thorn gave him an incredulous stare.   
“No. Of course you’re not.” He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He then placed his hands on his thighs and began to lower himself to the ground. As expected, Thorn flinched and tried to scramble away.   
“Hey, hey, relax.” Bucky assured her, dropping to her level completely and sitting cross-legged. “I’m a friend.”

Thorn’s eyes remained on the man in front of her but she said nothing, appearing to feel a mixture of confusion and suspicion. Bucky racked his brain for something to say.   
“My name’s… James.” He said, opting for his birth name. Thorn said nothing, eyeing him furiously. He could see the whites of her eyes and her pupils seemed to shiver.   
“D-Do you remember your name?” He asked. Thorn nodded her head. Bucky’s smile wavered. Was that all she was going to say?   
“Okay, good. Do you remember anything else? About yourself, I mean.” Thorn remained still. Bucky seemed to watch all of her thoughts playing out in her eyes – they were broken and scattered. She shook her head. The edges of her eyelids moistened but she sniffed and shook the tears away. Bucky paused. He didn’t know what to do next. She was refusing to speak but was also brimming with emotion that needed a release.

Bucky placed his hands either side of him on the floor and lifted himself to his knees. Thorn’s gaze returned to him as he crawled towards her, shuffling away a little when he sat next to her. A few minutes passed in silence as Bucky kept Thorn company and the pair spent the time in silence, a clock ticking from somewhere that the neither of them see.

Bucky turned to look at Thorn and saw that she looked much calmer. Her knees were still drawn up but instead of burying her face in them, she rested her chin on her arms, staring forward and daydreaming. Her red hair had grown a little longer, just brushing her shoulders, and was displaying her natural colour near its roots. Bucky let himself smile faintly. He wanted to talk to her again but he didn’t know what to say.

What would Steve say? What would Fury say? Hell, what would Natasha say? Bucky rambled in his head. A tumbleweed sailed by in his mind’s eye and the imaginary crickets around him grew ever louder.

…What would Thorn say?

Bucky smiled again, though wistfully this time. He already knew the answer to that question.   
“You know…” Thorn faced him when he began to speak. “Your inability to question things is the reason you’re in this mess. Maybe change that habit now.”

Thorn gulped and returned her gaze forward. She lowered her brow and chewed on her bottom lip. When she spoke again her voice was light and tired. It depicted the exhaustion she felt both physically and mentally. She was drained. And as far as she was concerned, she only wanted to know one thing.

“Who am I?”

 

Fury and Steve watched on as Bucky turned to face them through the window and shook his head. The director’s eyebrows threatened to mask his eyes completely whilst Steve folded his arms and sighed.    
“So she really doesn’t know anything.” He muttered.   
“It would seem so.” Fury said. “Damn, that would have been good.”   
“We’ve gotten by with less. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.” Steve smirked.

Nick Fury hummed lowly.   
“In the meantime, what are we going to do about Miss Thorn?”   
“Well, we can’t just leave her without her memories.” Steve said, watching as Bucky spoke to the woman. Cap could see in his friend’s eyes that he knew it wouldn’t be enough.   
“That’s the problem.” Fury sighed. “She’s the only one that knows her memories. We had a few things on file but what wasn’t put on the internet was destroyed.”

“That’s our best bet then – the internet.”   
“And when that doesn’t work?” Fury mused, knowing already that it wouldn’t be that simple. Steve clicked his fingers.   
“Maximoff.”   
“Gesundheit.” Fury replied but Steve shook his head.    
“No, no. _Wanda Maximoff._ She’s a new recruit but her abilities are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. She might be able to get inside Thorn’s head and restore a few things.”

Fury nodded, understanding, impressed, and, more importantly, relieved. Maybe things wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.   
“What about Barnes? Have you restored his memories yet? You could do them both at the same time.”   
“No. I mean, we haven’t looked into his past yet. Although, I think it would be something that we’d want to do together. It’d be a chance for us to bond again.”   
“I see… Though I fear Thorn would want the same thing if given the choice.”   
“We don’t have a choice.” Steve said. “If she wants her memories back at all, this is the only way.”

Steve and Bucky had pulled down the fold away bed and sat on it together – Bucky on the edge with his elbows on his knees and Steve leaning back against the wall. The two chairs that bordered the table had been positioned to face each other. Thorn and Wanda took these seats.

At first, Agent Thorn had been reluctant to the meeting the new Avenger but after careful explanation, she was helped to realise that there was no other option. Wanda had been reserved too. She understood the gravity of the situation and how helpful her gifts would be but she also knew that retrieving memories was an arduous and difficult challenge.   
“I should remind you,” Wanda said, turning on her seat to face Steve, “that this might not work at all. It isn’t something I have done before.”   
“We’re willing to take that chance.” Bucky said. Wanda caught his eye and narrowed her eyes slightly. The pair hadn’t met prior to this and the friction between them as a result was evident. She spun in her seat to face Thorn once more.   
“And you’re sure about this?”

“Yes. James has already told me about the more… traumatic events.” Steve raised an eyebrow when he heard the name James. “But I want to fill in the gaps. I have to know.” She concluded. Bucky shut his eyes and ran a hand through his hair – this was dangerous. It had been a stroke of luck when Thorn had lost her memories as it meant that she might finally be allowed to live a life of peace. It was something Bucky longed desperately for her to have because he couldn’t have it himself. They shared so much and if he couldn’t save himself, then he would save her. But now all of his work was being undone.

Wanda lifted her fingertips and rested them on Thorn’s temples. The redhead could feel a power surging from them and pulsing through her veins.   
“Is this it?” She whispered, not wanting to shatter the tension that was building. Wanda smiled.   
“No, I haven’t started yet. You’ll know when I’m inside.”

Inside, Bucky repeated the word in his head. It was so personal and penetrative. Was this the right thing to be doing? He didn’t get time to contemplate it. Thorn’s gasping drew his focus. Her mouth was agape and she took short sharp breaths, closing her eyes too Wanda looked still in comparison to the writhing mess that Thorn had become.   
“It’s rejecting me. Her mind won’t let me in.” Wanda called out above Thorn’s whimpers. Bucky was on his feet and hurried to the woman’s side. He took her hand in his and squeezed it. Steve, meanwhile, approached Wanda. Though she was focused she was able to answer his question.   
“What happens if it continues to reject you?”   
“It will start to shut down. It’ll kill her.”

Bucky’s eyes widened. Why hadn’t the woman, Maximoff, mentioned this earlier? No, wait, she hadn’t done this before. This wasn’t her fault – it was his. He had forced Thorn to do this for the sake of her memories without even thinking about the risks. Resting his forehead on his shoulder, he recognised his responsibility, his culpability, in this situation and vowed to resolve it.   
“Thorn… Thorn, listen to me. You’ve got to stop fighting it. Do you hear me? You’ve gotta let her in. Once you do, you’ll be alright. I promise, on my life I promise you that you’ll be alright.”

Bucky continued to talk like this for some time, holding tighter and tighter onto her shaking hand. Steve watched the encounter with wide eyes, placing a hand on Wanda’s shoulder when he noticed that she was trembling too.   
“Keep talking.” She ordered Bucky. “It’s working.” So Bucky continued.   
“Thorn, you’re doing great. Really, you are. Just a little farther now and you’re home free, I promise. You’ve just got to open up. I know it’s difficult, letting people in, especially when it’s this literal but it’s worth it, I promise.” He turned momentarily to look at Steve who smiled.   
“If you let Wanda in, she can help. We all can. You’ve just got to let us help, okay? It looks dangerous and I know that you don’t want to but I won’t let anything bad happen. You hear me? I’ve got you in trouble so many times but after this, I promise, I’ll keep you safe – I swear. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I’ll take care of you and we’ll get through this.”

Thorn’s body suddenly went limp and she collapsed. Bucky just managed to gather her into his arms before she fell off of the chair. He looked to Wanda but was relieved to see her smiling. She was panting heavily and used Steve to keep herself steady, but the ends of her mouth were turned up.   
“She’ll be fine.” The Russian wheezed. Steve patted her hand and grinned at Bucky, hope and glee glistening in his eyes.   
“Did… Did something traumatic happen?” Wanda asked suddenly and Bucky tilted his head.   
“Well, there’s a big chunk I couldn’t get to in the middle after she rescued you from that bank. If it’s a traumatic event then it’s a little trickier to recover because the brain represses it more intricately.”

“They likely tortured her.” Bucky murmured, eyeing the anfractuous scars on both of Thorn’s arms. They were still prominent but less red than the last time he had seen them this close.   
“Though I imagine that these scars are enough to remember it by. We needn’t concern ourselves with that memory.”

“If it becomes an issue, I can probably recover it. It will just take a few more sessions.”   
“You’ve done more than enough for today Wanda.” Steve said warmly, helping her to stand. After ensuring she was stable on her feet, the couple released each other. Bucky lifted Thorn off of her seat and placed his arm under her back and legs.   
“Are any of the rooms here empty? I don’t think we have to worry about her escaping now.” He asked.   
“The room next to mine is empty.” Wanda yawned before wobbling towards the door. Steve leapt to her side when she almost collapsed.

“And you won’t make it there at this rate.” He chuckled, allowing the brunette to lean on his arm. Looking over his shoulder, Cap flashed a smile.   
“You go on ahead. I’m going to help this lady back to her quarters.” Wanda waved her hand dismissively a few times but couldn’t stand upright, making Steve’s choice for him. Bucky surpassed them both and hot-footed it out of the door.

He walked down the corridor, taking several twists and turns, before finally reaching the residential quarters. Whilst he located Wanda’s room, Thorn stirred in his arms. He looked down as she shifted in his embrace.   
“D… Did you…”   
“Don’t speak. You’re exhausted.” He said, breaking into a warm smile.   
“Did you mean it?” Thorn mumbled, her voice hoarse and tired. Bucky paused.   
“Mean what?”

“What you said? About protecting me?” She explained, her voice just audible. Bucky didn’t know what to say. Though he knew she’d heard him, he hadn’t expected her to actually hear him.   
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I guess I did.” He stammered, wanting to run a hand through his hair but knowing that he couldn’t do so without dropping her.   
“Good.” Thorn said, a tired smile wrinkling her nose. She promptly passed out again. Bucky remained motionless and drank in the small exchange. He tried to repress the grin that was sneaking onto his face but it was too difficult. After tucking her into a bed, Bucky took a seat on the floor by her bed and let his eyes shut.

“I promise…” He whispered before falling asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda gets more than she bargains for when she takes Thorn breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Lucy who is only just catching up and has decided to read every Chapter Summary back to me as if it was for an action-packed film trailer.

The residential rooms of the Avengers’ new base were all similar. A bed sat under the divided window which allowed the soft morning light to wash over the room. A bedside chest supported a small lamp next to the bed and on the other wall was a door to the bathroom. When Wanda knocked on the door to Thorn’s room carrying a breakfast tray, she had not expected Bucky to answer.  
“Mr Barnes!” She exclaimed. The man stepped out of the room whilst rubbing his eyes and closed the door behind him. Wanda looked him up and down – he was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday and had bags under his eyes. Curiosity got the better of her and Wanda searched his head. He hadn’t left the room all night.

However, Bucky’s brain was a mess. Like a broken jar stuck back together with the arts and crafts glue – everything was fractured and you couldn’t look at one piece without seeing the whole thing. The wave of memories and information hit Wanda hard but she was stronger than yesterday and so the weakening of her legs wasn’t as noticeable. Had it not been for the shaking of the cups on the tray, Bucky might not have noticed at all.  
“You okay there? You want me to take that in?” He asked. Wanda shook her head, looking at the man before her with wide and sympathetic eyes.  
“N… No. Thank you.”

“Right. Well if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to catch up on some sleep before everyone else wakes up.”  
“Okay.” She said, watching him stretch and yawn as he ambled down the corridor. Wanda let him disappear before walking into Thorn’s bedroom.  
“Rise and shine.” She announced, taking a seat at the end of Thorn’s bed with the tray on her lap. Thorn stirred slightly and groaned, pulling the covers over her head.

“Hey,” Wanda laughed, prodding the lump underneath the blanket, “Get up.” Thorn grumbled again before peering out from underneath the duvet. The white pillow and sheet made her crimson hair look even more vibrant.  
“I have food.” Wanda grinned, gesturing to the tray on her lap. Thorn’s eyes shifted to the tray and sparkled.  
“That’s way too much food for just me.” She said, moving the pillow against the headboard so that she could sit up comfortably.  
“Who said it was just for you?” The Maximoff twin said, dividing everything up into portions. “You’re not the only one who was tired yesterday.”

After a cup of tea, some pastries and fruit, the two women’s appetites were sated. During the course of their breakfast, the two of them chatted idly. Thorn had most of her memories back and as a result had readopted her tough personality, though not without retaining some of her more recent traits. As a result she was a version of Regina Thorn that smiled wider and laughed more.

Wanda liked Thorn. There are few things you can do without becoming friends afterwards and poking around inside someone’s head to see all of their vivid memories is not one of them. Wanda had shared all of the pain and loss, the confusion and heartache – she knew Thorn’s inner workings and how she ticked. And she liked it. Regina Thorn made sense to her.  

As a result, a certain level of respect had been built. Wanda stayed out of Regina’s head and talked to her as if that possibility was unfeasible. For Wanda, it was important that her powers were only used as a last resort or else things got boring and far too easy. As they sat talking, she was pleased to find the conversation flowing naturally and delighted to think that they might be becoming friends, a concept that was strange and exciting and nice to the recently isolated woman.

“So what happens now?” Thorn asked, taking another sip of tea. Wanda was sitting cross legged at the foot of the bed and was chewing on a croissant. She finished her mouthful before speaking.  
“Well, now that you have your memories back, Fury will likely want to talk with you about HYDRA’s plans.”  
“I see. Although I don’t think anything of use is up there.”  
“What about the files you read in the bank?” Thorn shook her head, ignoring how strange it was to have someone that knew things she’d never shared.

In fact, the entire process felt weird to Thorn. When Wanda broke down the barriers that had locked away her memories, it had felt artificial. She could still remember forgetting everything, she could still remember wandering around without her past, and she could remember getting that knowledge back. It had felt like she was watching everything as a separate entity, watching her life play out in front of her. And when her memories came flooding back, it was as though the two versions of herself had amalgamated – combining the STAR agent with the quiet book nerd and creating a whole new person. Like a doll sewn together with different limbs.

Instead of feeling whole again, she felt stuck together and tatty. Not whole or fixed, but not empty either. Whatever she felt, it was a great deal better than before and she was most definitely grateful for that. At least now, she knew who she was.

“I have to ask…” Thorn said and Wanda looked up at her. “How much of my head did you see?” Wanda lowered the hands that were holding her croissant and her chewing slowed.  
“Honestly? A lot of it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know almost everything that happened to you.”  
“Almost everything?”  
“I only got to see the memories that had been forgotten and anything it was linked to. Childhood memories and anything prior to these last few months are all still all yours.” She smiled, hoping to reassure her new friend.  
“That makes me feel a little better, I guess.” Thorn said monotonously, sipping more tea. As an agent of SHIELD, she’d been trained to conceal her emotions, thoughts, and history. The thought of somebody having rooted around her head like a filing cabinet at the public library was unsettling.

“Relax.” Wanda told her. “It’s not the first time I’ve learnt someone’s past, the information is safe. Half of the time it’s accidental.”  
“How do you _accidentally_ read someone’s mind?” Thorn snickered.  
“Quite easily. If they’re projecting strong emotions, it often just bleeds through. You’d be surprised at how often I learn random facts about my teammates just because they stubbed their toe.”

Thorn laughed and Wanda smiled. She had a nice laugh that was deep and meaningful, a proper belly-laugh by all accounts. It was horribly infectious and the younger Maximoff found herself unable to stop grinning.  
“So, you know a lot about the others then?” The agent asked afterwards.  
“A little. I try not to read people for my own gain – I prefer doing things the old fashioned way if it can be helped.” She replied, tearing a piece of pastry from the croissant with her fingers. Thorn nodded and made to drink more tea, giving Wanda the opportunity to ask her own question.

“So, what is your relationship with Barnes?” Wanda asked, looking at Thorn with an expression feigning innocence and placing the shred of pastry into her mouth.  
“In what sense?” She countered. The brunette smirked.  
“Well, you two seem to be quite close.”  
“What’re you getting at Maximoff?” Thorn lowered her eyebrows.

“Nothing. I’m just saying that I noticed a few things up there.”  
“Well, you’re going to have to stop that if we’re going to be friends.” Thorn muttered and Wanda chuckled. _Friends._ Was that wise? Having friends? She was currently a target for HYDRA and having friends could be a huge risk. Not that Wanda couldn’t handle herself but Thorn didn’t want to be responsible for putting her in that situation. She ignored her anxieties for now but made a mental note never to let the phrase slip out of her mouth again.

“I owe him a debt.” Was all she wanted to say on the matter.  
“That’s it?” Wanda tilted her head.  
“That’s it. We’re just-” Thorn froze. She wanted to say friends again, she truly did, but something stopped her.

“Look, there’s nothing _going on_ between us if that’s what you’re thinking. I saved his ass and then he saved mine. End of story. We’re done professionally.”  
“Professionally?!” Wanda scoffed.  
“Yes. We’re colleagues, if anything.”  
“A _colleague_ doesn’t spend 3 months watching over someone just to see that they’re safe…” Wanda mumbled. Thorn raised an eyebrow, expecting a repetition but instead, Wanda smirked. She gathered their crockery back onto the tray and stood up.

“I just think there’s more going on than you know.”  
“That’s the point. I _don’t_ know. Everything I know about him was written in a file.” Thorn said as Wanda made her escape. “Hey, wait a minute.” At her friend’s request, the brunette stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder. Thorn had scrambled out from under the bed covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed.  
“I don’t suppose you, uh, read him? Did you?”

Wanda’s silence was telling enough. She turned and placed the tray down on the bedside chest.  
“I should point out that I only got fragments. It’s not everything.”    
“You know what I want?” Wanda nodded and smiled sadly.  
“It’s understandable. You two have a lot of history.”  
“So you’ll…” Thorn asked with wide eyes. With a sigh, Maximoff got to her knees by Thorn’s side.  
“Are you sure you want to do this?”  
“I have to know what he’s been through, Wanda. He never gave up on me and I need to know why.”

“It won’t fix anything.” She insisted, taking Regina’s hands into her own.  
“I know that…”The other said, casting her eyes down.  
“But you still want to do it?” Thorn heaved a tremendous sigh and nodded, disturbing her mane of fiery hair.  
“Yes, I… I have to know.”

 

Bucky rapped his knuckles on the door a few times. Fury had called a meeting to discuss HYDRA’s plans with Thorn and he had been sent to collect her and Wanda. He hoped they were still eating breakfast together otherwise it would take him another hour to track them both down by which point, Fury would be getting antsy.  
“Thorn? Miss Maximoff? You in there?” He called out, taking the door handle and twisting. He was happy to feel the door opening.  

But Bucky’s delight would be short lived.

Upon walking in, Bucky wasn’t sure at first what to make of the scene presented to him. Thorn and Wanda were sat on the bed, the latter of whom had her fingertips lightly pressed to the other’s temples. Her eyes were closed and her face focused. Thorn, on the other hand, looked less relaxed. Her lips were parted slightly and her eyes were wide, tears coursing down her face in narrow streams. Her brows were still low, however, giving her the countenance of pity rather than surprise or pain.

He stepped inside and shut the door. Neither of them moved. A red energy ebbed and flowed around the Maximoff twin’s elegant fingertips. Bucky realised what was happening but was unalarmed, presuming that Thorn had made the request to fill in some gaps. Until she spoke.  
“Oh Bucky…” Regina whispered.

His mouth fell open as he realised what was taking place. He leapt forward and ripped Wanda’s hands away. Leaping between the two, he gathered Thorn into his arms as she crumpled and broke down.  
“ _What did you do?_ ” He snarled at the woman next to him. She was panting and clearly exhausted from the ordeal but Bucky had no pity to shed on her after what had happened. Thorn was sobbing heartily now and clung to his shirt, not caring or realising who she was weeping on.  
“What she asked me to do.” Wanda spat.

“Why would she want to know that? Even I don’t have all of my memories intact.”  
“She wanted to understand you – she couldn’t comprehend why you’d want to protect her.” Bucky opened his mouth to protest. It should have been obvious why he’d want to help. It should have been obvious. So why wasn’t it? Why couldn’t he just say it?

He decided to change the subject.  
“How did you even get a hold of my history anyway, Maximoff?”  
“I looked in your head, obviously.” She sneered back, standing up and wiping a few crumbs off of her skirt that she hadn’t noticed before.  
“That’s not what I meant. Why were you in my head?”

“You came out of Thorn’s room this morning looked severely…” She raised a suggestive eyebrow,” worse for wear. Not to mention you had the same clothes as yesterday on. The mind does wander.” She winked before strutting towards the door, leaving a furious Bucky glaring at her back.  
“Your head is a mess Mr Barnes. I went in for an excerpt and came out with the whole book.”

Once Wanda had left, Bucky returned his attention to Thorn. He stroked her hair and shushed her, eventually bringing her face up to stare at him.  
“I’m sorry…” She muttered, wiping her eyes and crawling away from him. He remained still and let her leave his embrace. He wasn’t going to force his kindness on her, not if she didn’t want or understand it.  
“You don’t have to apologise for crying. I’m surprised you’ve kept it together this long.”  
“Not for that. For… what you walked in on. It was none of my business and I don’t even know why I asked her to do it.”

Bucky chuckled softly and looked down. He brushed a strand of hair behind his ear that had fallen over his face as a result.  
“Something tells me you did it for the same reason I spent three months camping by your house.” Thorn whirled around to face him, wanting to know what he meant, but he was already leaving.    
“Meeting room in 20 minutes. Fury wants a word.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The remaining Avengers are forced to work out what HYDRA is planning now that Thorn has her memories have returned. Wanda strengthens her relationship with Thorn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter today. The next chapter should be up shortly though so fear not.

The meeting hall had been filled again with superheroes that Thorn had only read about. She recognised Bucky who sat to her right and Wanda on her left, and also Tony Stark, who had returned from Thorn’s house the night before and slept like a log afterwards. Maria Hill was a famous name within SHIELD. As the right-hand woman to Nick Fury and the woman who shot at Loki the trickster God, she was revered within the organisation. Sam Wilson seemed familiar but only because he’d been in her house before she’d passed out. He was sat next to Agent Hill and was attempting to get her attention. Steve Rogers and Director Fury were not in the room yet. The only other person – the one whom Thorn didn’t recognise – was a woman with short fiery hair. Wanda had placed her hand over Thorn’s in case the situation was unnerving to her but she didn’t have the guts to tell her that she was okay. She appreciated her friendship too much.

The door to the room opened and everyone turned. Steve, who was dressed more casually than usual in a checked shirt and tan leather jacket, skipped down the stairs. Thorn felt better about being dressed in a hoodie and jeans upon seeing his outfit. He was followed by Fury. The two of them took a seat at the table and Steve flashed a warm grin in Thorn’s direction. She reciprocated, if a little more faintly.

“So,” Fury began after making himself comfortable. “I presume you all know why we’re here.” Various heads nodded around the table. The only person who refused to acknowledge the statement was the redhead. She glanced at Thorn.   
“A segment of HYDRA survived the fall of SHIELD and made an attempt on an agent. The question is: why? Whilst we still have Thorn in our protection, it’s important that we figure out what they are plotting.”

“And how are we supposed to do that?” Tony muttered, finding a piece of fluff on the table and flicking it away. He then huffed and leaned back in his chair. He couldn’t have made his disinterest in the subject more obvious unless he’d come dressed in a shirt that said “I really don’t want to be here”.   
“Well, both Thorn and the Winter Soldier were in their imprisonment but they saw no reason to chase after the latter.” Maria Hill pointed out, ignoring Bucky’s grinding jaw.   
“Why is that?”   
“That’s what we’d like to know. It would likely be some indication as to what they are intending to do with her.”

Maria turned and nodded to Thorn who held her gaze. Despite her fame within SHIELD, she still wasn’t quite sure what to make of her.   
“Do you have any ideas as to why they would want you back?” Wanda asked, jostling Thorn’s hand. She was the first person to speak to her directly, for which she was grateful.   
“I don’t… Or rather, I don’t remember them mentioning anything of interest.”

Maria Hill smiled supportively. Fury spoke next.   
“Then maybe it’s not something they told you. Can you think of any reason they might want you back? Something you have? Or maybe something you learnt.” Thorn shook her head again and Wanda gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She was being incredibly kind and, though Thorn appreciated it, it was a tad stifling. As a STAR agent, she had gotten used to distancing herself from others.   
“Maybe my hand?” She suggested, holding up the metallic limb. Tony smirked to himself at the sight of his impressive technology again.

The woman with red hair shook her orange tresses. Sam Wilson grunted.   
“We thought about that already but it’s the same as the Winter Soldier’s prosthetic so-”  
“No, it’s not.” Thorn protested. The woman looked a little irritated at having been interrupted but Sam became curious, leaning forward in his chair. Thorn looked incredulously between Wanda and Bucky who both gave her encouraging expressions.   
“Well, I mean… It’s just what Mr Stark said. Bucky’s arm is connected directly to his nervous system through wires and cables and things. I don’t know the long and short of it but mine has a microchip in it or something.”

Fury tilted his head.   
“Is this true, Stark?”   
“Yeah. The microchip links into the frequency of the brain waves, picks things up and transmits them a little faster. Not to brag but-”  
“Transmits?”   
“Well, yeah.” He said matter-of-factly. “The pain receptors need to transmit to the brain when it comes into contact with something dangerous. It needs to be able to tap in and-”

Natasha hit her fist on the table.   
“Can you ever make something that doesn’t endanger everyone?” Tony shrugged.   
“Comes with the job. And what do you mean everyone?” Fury pinched the bridge of his nose.   
“They are going to broadcast something, or transmit it. Whatever you want to call it, they need the microchip to do it. If they have that, they’ll be able to access the minds of anyone in the population.”

“Actually, that’s not entirely true.” Tony said, leaning forward. Apparently his interest was only ever piqued by implications against his reputation or inventions. “The microchip was designed specifically for Thorn over here. There would be no way for them to project it to a mass population.”   
“As it is, maybe.” Maria interjected, “But are you telling me that they wouldn’t be able to tweak it, just a little bit, to their own advantage? We’ve never known them not to have the facilities.”

Stark paused.   
“Possibly. But facilities like that, they’d be hard to hide.” He pointed out, looking incredibly more desperate. Thorn watched the exchange with widening eyes.   
“About as hard to hide as a cage for the Hulk? And 2 Norse Gods? And an entire lab?” Thorn said bluntly. Steve, Hill, Fury and Stark turned to look at her, gradually beginning to understand as she continued. Even the redhead seemed to understand, revealing her identity to Thorn. This was Natasha Romanoff. Fury stood quickly and Maria Hill did the same, walking out of the room with a wide gait.

“Wilson, Stark – you’re up.” Fury commanded.   
“Up? What do you mean up? What’s going on?” Wilson called out. When the Director reached the top of the staircase, he turned and leant on the railing, looking out across the sea of people beneath him.   
“Thorn said it herself. Those sorts of facilities are about as hard to hide as cage for the Hulk, a trickster God, and a team of superheroes”  

“You mean they’re-”  
“Damn right.” He said before turning to leave. “The bastards are airborne.”

* * *

 

Ernest Whitewater walked down the well-lit corridor. He was a balding man of 54 whose tired eyes hid a deep-seated rage that his subordinates knew not to provoke. His footsteps were punctuated by the repetitive clicking of his cane as it helped him to amble along.   
“After you left, the team intercepted Captain America and the Winter Soldier. They might have succeeded had Iron Man not arrived shortly after.”   
“Iron Man?”   
“Yes, sir. He arrived and dealt with our team in practically no time at all.”   
“I see.”

The man to his left was new to the team and the events at Thorn’s house had been his first mission.   
“And tell me, Peter, how is it you are aware of this?”   
“I was there, sir. I saw it happen.”   
“And you came back? Tut tut, Peter. I could have you fired for deserting the team – or worse.” Peter Ryan didn’t know if it was possible for a cane to sound menacing but when it was Ernest Whitewater who owned the staff, it appeared to be.   
“However, for now I appreciate that you bought such interesting information to my attention.” He pushed the aviator reading glasses up his nose.

“Where is the girl now?”   
“She is with the Avengers, sir. They left the scene after she passed out, taking her presumably to a hideout. Unfortunately, we don’t know the location of that base.”   
“My tolerance of such incompetence is waning, Mr Ryan.” Peter Ryan swallowed. They turned the corner into a room with a variety of monitors and control panels. A large window at the front saw the city beneath them, from whose view they were hidden. A woman sat behind a large joystick that was used to fly the vehicle.

“Locate her – and do so quickly, my boy.”    
“Yes sir. And what next?” Peter Ryan asked. Whitewater stepped up onto a podium at the centre of the room with a small hole in the floor. He placed the tip of the cane into it and pushed, watching it click into place. The end of the cane began to glow a brilliant white and a crooked smile broke out onto the bespectacled man’s face.   
“Then we shall take her from them.”

“But… Sir,” Peter Ryan said, his voice wavering. “It’s _the Avengers_!”  
“Oh thank you for that insightful observation, Peter.” He muttered before pulling the cane out of the floor. Whirling around, he pressed the cane into Ryan’s throat. “We shall take her. Whether they like it or not.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team begins to make plans regarding HYDRA and Thorn but the latter is not allowed to partake. Bucky's behaviour also begins to change and somebody notices...

“Watch where you’re putting those hands, Hill.” Sam Wilson chuckled as the agent helped him place the EXO-7 Falcon onto his back.   
“Watch your mouth, Wilson.” She retorted. Whilst Sam sorted out the harness from the front, Maria checked the integrity of the suit from behind. Thorn was leaning against the wall of the hangar with one foot propped up. She watched the interaction with growing curiosity.

“Maybe one of these days, I could take you out for a drink.” Sam asked after he was confident that he was appropriately suited up.   
“Maybe. Don’t get your hopes up.” Maria said blandly.   
“That’s not a no.”   
“But it’s as close to a yes as you’ll ever get.”

Thorn smirked and looked down until someone’s presence to her left caught her attention.   
“Hey kid.” Stark said. He was in his Iron Man suit but she could practically hear the grin that was on his face.   
“Don’t call me kid.”   
“Seems like somebody’s back to normal.”   
“Implying that you know what I was like before.” Tony shrugged.   
“I read the file. Blunt, honest, and hard-working. Takes no shit, to be more precise.”

“Then you should know better than to piss me off.” She said with a grin.   
“Something tells me you’ve got bigger targets than some arrogant billionaire.” He laughed before leaving her side.   
“Hey birdbrain, you ready to go?”   
“Oh, I’m sorry, were you talking to me Tin Man?” Sam chuckled.   
“Oh, that’s how it is?”   
“Yeah, that’s how it is.”

Maria stepped back and folded her arms. Tony turned to her.   
“Is he always like this?” He said, pointing to Sam who clutched his chest theatrically. Maria shrugged.   
“You get used to it.”   
“That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Wilson chuckled before following Iron Man towards the hangar exit. Maria watched the two bickering superheroes leave whilst shaking her head. She then turned and strutted for the door. Thorn followed.

“He’s cute.” Thorn called out. Hill turned and smirked.   
“Yeah, he is. I might let him take me out at some point.” She sighed, opening the door and holding it for Thorn who skipped through.   
“What?”

“You think I shouldn’t?” She smiled, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Hill had never met Agent Thorn but she’d heard Fury drop the name from time to time. Hill was the only Agent with high enough access to know of STAR’s existence and it was something she had over Natasha Romanoff, a fact she was proud of.    
“No, it’s not that. You just didn’t seem interested.” Thorn explained, folding her arms as they walked. Maria nodded.   
“I’m just making sure he doesn’t get the wrong idea. I’m not easy.”   
“I see. So you’re not worried?”   
“Worried?” Maria Hill laughed. “About what?”

“Well, what happens if things get serious and something happens to him? What happens if they hurt you to get to him or vice versa? What happens if he gets put in a dangerous situation trying to protect you? What if-”   
“I think you’ve made your point.” Maria said, slowing down to a stop. It was a short walk from the hangar to the foyer and once they arrived, Hill turned to face the other agent.

“What’s going on?” She asked, folding her arms. “Where’s all this coming from?” Thorn blinked and shook her head.   
“I don’t know what you mean. I’m just curious.”   
“Thorn, that’s not curiosity. You’ve had time to think about that.”   
“When you’re working for a covert organisation, it’s something that crosses your mind.” Thorn said, looking down and kicking the floor.

“Was it that bad in STAR?”   
“Not bad, no. Just tricky. You know, I haven’t seen my brother in years – he thinks I work for an internet company in Australia.” Thorn explained. Maria sighed and looked up to the ceiling for a minute.   
“Look, I appreciate what you’re saying, I do, but I can’t let what I do stop me. If I want to date Sam then I’ll date him. With what we do, I can’t afford to waste a day that might be my last.”

Thorn hesitated but then nodded. Hill placed a hand on her shoulder and patted it a few times before leaving. She likely had a job to do elsewhere. Thorn turned to the other direction and made her way to the kitchen.   
“I need a drink.”

* * *

 

The kitchen in the base was small and cosy. It still had the sterile whiteness that seemed to be plastered over the entire base but for some reason that didn’t bother Thorn here. A kitchen was the sort of room you would hope to be washed out and clean.

A mug of tea sat in front of her was producing several glorious wisps of steam in the air. Her finger trailed around the rim of the mug and delighted in the warmth that spread through it. She’d also organised some crackers, cheese, and ham on a plate but hadn’t yet been able to bring herself to eat anything. Her appetite had dwindled significantly with recent events.

Bucky walked into the kitchen and spotted Thorn sitting at the circular table in the centre of the room. She was holding her head up with her right hand and trailing the index of her left around the circumference of a steaming mug. He smiled warmly at the sight. It was the most relaxed he’d ever seen her – content would be a bit of a stretch.

“Hey there.” He said, trying to sound casual. This would be the first opportunity to speak to her alone since that morning. He didn’t plan to waste it.   
“Hi.” She sighed, not looking up. Bucky wandered to the kettle, hoping the water inside was still hot.   
“You okay? You’re looking a bit flat.”   
“I’m alright. Just tired, I guess.”

Neither of them wanted to talk any more about the events of that morning so the conversation moved swiftly on.   
“You want some crackers? I can’t stomach them.” Thorn said, pushing the plate across the table as Bucky sat down with a mug of coffee.   
“Sure. Are you feeling alright?”   
“Yes. Thank you for your concern James, but yes.”

A few minutes passed in silence until eventually Thorn looked up from the table.   
“What the hell are you wearing?” She asked, her mouth in danger of forming a smile.   
“I… Casual clothing.” Bucky said. “Is this not how people dress?”   
“No. Not in this century.” She said, unable to hide the grin on her face now. He was wearing a black dress shirt with an extravagant grey pattern on and a waistcoat with an equally flamboyant design. Both of them resembled wallpaper. He had combined it with a pair of black skinny jeans, a scarf, and dress shoes. If anyone could pull it off, it was Bucky, but it still wasn’t a modern look.   
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He muttered, rolling up a piece of ham and placing it onto a cracker.   
“I hope so – you look like one of Dracula’s reject brothers.” Thorn chuckled, bringing her sufficiently cooled drink to her lips.  

“Shut up. I’ve been out of it for a few months.” He grinned.   
“And in all that time, you didn’t pick up on anything on what to wear?”   
“My intentions were not to go shopping.”   
“Then what were they?”   
“Like you don’t know.” He said without thinking. Thorn clamped her mouth shut and returned her gaze to the table. She _did_ know. Wanda had allowed her that information and it stung as she realised that she probably knew Bucky better than her knew himself.

He cleared his throat.   
“Exactly how much did she show you?” Thorn swallowed and opened her mouth to speak but it took a minute for the words to formulate.   
“Everything…”   
“Everything?”  
“Everything after you left you for the war.”

“I see. What about your past?” He asked, seemingly unnerved at how much Thorn knew. Either that or he was very good at hiding it.   
“My past? I have everything back. Well, everything except…” Her hands grazed gently over her arms where the scars of the HYDRA’s sadistic torture were still visible. Bucky didn’t know what to say so he leaned across the table and pulled the sleeve of her shirt down, covering the wounds. She smiled appreciatively at him and reached for her drink.

After an elongated pause, Bucky spoke.   
“I looked for you, you know.”   
“You… looked for me?” He nodded.   
“After you helped me escape, I went and found Steve-”   
“To get your memories back, I know.”

“To get _you_ back.”

Thorn slammed her mug down. “What are you doing?”   
“I’m sorry?”   
“You could’ve left me. You could’ve moved on and helped Steve, gotten your memories and your old life back. Why would you endanger yourself, just for me? Somebody you didn’t know, somebody you’d only read about in a file.”   
“Because you did exactly the same for me.” Bucky declared.

Thorn turned away. The biting of her lip conveyed to him the confliction she was feeling. In the last few days alone, multiple people had sacrificed their safety for her own. If it had been her in that situation, as a STAR agent, she wouldn’t have bothered. It wouldn’t be worth the risk. The organisation’s confidentiality was her top priority and that was what she had been trained to believe since she had started working for them. Thorn found it impossible to wrap her head around that much selflessness.

Bucky watched her with a furrowed brow. Now that she was this close to him, it was becoming increasingly difficult to rush to her aid at any given moment – after 3 months of caring from a distance, such a reaction was to be expected. He just prayed that his words alone would suffice until they were close enough that he could…   
“Emma.” She said, turning to look it him again. He cocked his head. Thorn smiled briefly and looked down. “I figure… I know all about you now. You should know something about me.”  
“So that’s…” He began, the corner of his mouth wavering slightly.   
“My name – before STAR and all that. Emma. Emma Phelps.”

“I like it.” He said.   
“Really? I prefer Thorn.”   
“Thorn suits you fine.” Bucky grinned. “But you’re definitely an Emma.” He took another swig and she smirked. A few minutes later and the conversation was flowing a little more easily. Thorn finished her drink and eventually helped Bucky to polish off the crackers. He felt better seeing her eat.

Thorn stood up and took her mug to the sink.   
“You should get a haircut.” She muttered.   
“What, you mean you don’t like this?” He leered, running a hand through his hair and ruffling it. The sink was behind him meaning that he couldn’t see Thorn when she thrust her fingers amongst his hair and yanked his head backwards.    
“I like it perfectly fine but it’s too easy to catch.” She laughed, leaning over him. He grinned up at her and felt his heart begin to race.

The sound of frantic steps caused them to step away from each other as Maria scrambled into the room. Her mouth was wide open to compensate for the deep breaths she was taking.   
“It’s Sam… and Stark… They- They found the base.”

* * *

 

The three of them sprinted down the corridor to the hangar whilst Maria explained.   
“Stark called in a few minutes ago saying that he was bringing Sam in. They found the helicarrier above the safe house using a cloaking device on its base but when they got too close, it opened fire. Sam’s been hit badly.”

As she finished talking, they rounded the corner into the hangar as Stark flew in. Sam was in his grasp, covered in blood and wheezing. Maria hurried forward and took the Falcon’s arm, placing it over her shoulder and helping him to limp forward. Tony lifted up his mask and took his other arm, the pair of them helping Sam through the hangar. Thorn watched on in horror, her fists shaking subconsciously. Bucky went to her side and placed a hand over hers. The shaking subsided.   
“It’s not your fault. Relax.”

The couple clamoured into the infirmary behind Tony, Maria, and Sam. Wanda and Natasha had been nearby when the former sensed the whirlwind of emotions. The redhead stood talking to Stark about what he’d seen whilst Sam was mumbling to Maria who helped Dr Cho tend his wounds.   
“So, how about that drink?” He slurred.   
“Tell you what, you make it through this? We’ll go for a drink.”   
“Yes ma’am.” He said, settling back onto the table.

“A cloaking device?” Natasha exclaimed, drawing Thorn’s attention.   
“On the base. We only saw it when we flew over the top – that’s when they started shooting.”   
“Well, it makes sense. If they want to broadcast something, they can do it over a wider radius on a helicarrier.”   
“So what now?” Bucky asked, stepping forward. Natasha and Tony faced him abruptly, unaware that he had been listening. The former pursed her lips.   
“Not our call. We’ll have to wait for Fury or Steve.”   
“Alright then, what do you _think_ we should do now?”

“If I had to decide? I’d say we get on that helicarrier and give ‘em hell.” Tony nodded in agreement. Maria glanced over her shoulder at Thorn and Bucky, judging their reactions.   
“Even after what they did to Sam?”   
“Only the two of us were up there but if the whole team went, we might stand a chance of infiltrating it. Once we’re on board, there’d be no stopping us.” Bucky grunted.   
“I don’t like those odds.”   
“You don’t have to.” Natasha snapped. “If you want to protect your _girlfriend_ then you’ll follow the team.”

“She’s right.” Thorn murmured and Bucky whirled around to look at her. “If we’re going to stop them, we have to do it together.” Her face was blank and her eyes empty – ignoring the label of ‘girlfriend’. She stared forward at Natasha, unfeeling and cold. This was the Thorn from STAR. This was the SHIELD agent.   
“ _We_ won’t be doing anything.” Natasha then said. “You’ll be staying here.” Thorn blinked and looked from Natasha to Maria to Bucky, most of whom were nodding solemnly aside from the latter. He didn’t make eye contact.

“If you go up on that helicarrier then we’ll be more at risk of giving them what they want.”   
“This is all hypothetical.” Thorn pointed out.   
“Nonetheless, whatever happens tomorrow, you have to sit it out.” Natasha said. “I’m sorry but that’s just how it has to be.” She folded her arms and stared the agent down. Wanda went to take Thorn’s hand only to realise that Bucky had already done so. She looked between the pair with a singular eyebrow raised.

“Alright.” Thorn agreed. “I’ll stay here – but keep me updated.” Natasha nodded and there was something about the severe expression that accompanied it which assured Thorn that it was true. She turned around and made for the door, leaving Bucky’s hand empty. He watched her leave and Wanda, who observed his action, began to analyse the look in his eyes, the clenching of his fists, and the quickening of his breath.

When Bucky Barnes heard a gasp, he turned to see Wanda Maximoff with a devilish grin plastered on her face, the remnants of crimson fading from her eyes.  


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda confronts Bucky about his feelings for Thorn whilst the Avengers prepare to attack the HYDRA helicarrier.

Bucky’s head hit the wall with a loud bang – the younger Maximoff was small but strong.   
“How do you feel about Thorn?” She demanded, her hands gripping his collar and red energy seeping from her fingertips.   
“What?!” He spluttered. “What are you on it?”

“James Barnes, tell me how you feel about Thorn.” She spat again.   
“W-what? I still don’t understand.”   
“Do you deny that you have feelings for her?”   
“Feelings? What feelings? There aren’t any feelings to be had. She’s just a colleague!”

Wanda’s fingers slowly unravelled and allowed a thoroughly confused Bucky to straighten himself out. He had left the infirmary not long after Thorn and was followed by Wanda who pinned him down a few corridors away, where no-one could hear them.   
“I can’t tell what’s worse: the fact that you’re lying to me or that you’re lying to yourself.” She growled.   
“Sorry, what?”   
“Oh it’s obvious, isn’t it? You like her.” Wanda stated, folding her arms across her chest.

Bucky’s mouth opened but he promptly shut it to try and avoid creating any more tell-tale signs.   
“I respect her. She is a very competent and… capable woman. We work together currently and after this has all blown over, I will likely never see her again. That’s it.” Judging by the pout that had worked its way onto her face, Wanda disagreed.   
“We barely know each other!” Bucky exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air. He realised that such a statement was as bad as admitting how he felt but he saw no point in trying to lie to her anymore.

“A few days is enough time to fall for someone.” She argued and Bucky grunted.   
“That’s ridiculous.”   
“You’re right. I forgot that you spent 3 months watching over her too.” The Winter Soldier opened his mouth to protest but he couldn’t. He had no answer. Wanda grinned shrewdly.   
“Look, you don’t know what’s going to happen. In this line of work, you never do. I lost my brother trying to do the right thing and…” She looked down at her feet, clearly unnerved by the mention of Pietro. She took a jagged breath before continuing, Bucky watching all the while with compassionate eyes.   
“Don’t risk it.” She said. “Tell her how you feel.”

And just like that, she left, allowing Bucky to think through her words. He didn’t sleep that night. Thoughts rushed through his head like cars on a motorway, causing him to toss and turn. At first he debated whether he did harbour feelings for Thorn; she was a strong and attractive woman but she was equally independent and reserved. He liked her - that much he was sure of - but was it anything more than that?

He finally settled on an answer as the sun began to rise. Then he contemplated telling her. Would she feel the same? Would it be worth it? How would he tell her? The questions continued to plague his mind as he marched down the residential corridor towards Thorn’s quarters. Wanda’s door was adjacent to it but he prayed that she wouldn’t hear him – that was a level of smugness that Bucky didn’t want to deal with right now.

He knocked twice and waited patiently. No response came at first. It felt as though he had waited for several minutes too long, though his mind might have been playing tricks on him on account of his nerves. He knocked again and placed his hands behind his back. Again, time ebbed on for far too long. Praying that he wasn’t being overly impatient, Bucky twisted the doorknob and stepped into the room. Upon entering, he hit a wall of cold air, no doubt as a result of the open window in front of him. How could she sleep in such a climate?

His question was soon answered. The bed was empty. Tilting his head and frowning, Bucky made his way to the bathroom and knocked on the door. Boldly, he opened that too and saw that Thorn was nowhere to be seen. Now he was beginning to panic.   
“Emma?” He tried calling. He tore the bed covers away in case she’d found some clever way of hiding beneath them without him seeing her.

“Emma? Where are you? Emma?!”  
“What is going on?” A low voice said behind him and Bucky whirled round. Wanda stood in the doorway rubbing her eyes. “I could hear you from my room. What’s-” She noticed the frantic way in which he searched the room. Bucky began to ramble as Wanda joined the hunt.   
“She left! Why would she leave?”   
“Perhaps she felt guilty. She wants to stop this before it happens…” Wanda said, making for the open window to shut it. Her loose silk pyjamas did not provide much protection against the cold.  

“No… That wouldn’t make sense. She agreed to stay put, she understood it was dangerous.”   
“Barnes…” Wanda murmured. He had been looking under her bed for a sign of some sort when he heard the grave tone in which she spoke. Leaning out of the window, he saw what she was pointing to. A footprint. It was faint but it was definitely there, next to a few spots of blood running through gashes in the wooden windowsill.   
“She didn’t leave.” Wanda said, turning to look at Bucky with a thin mouth. “Thorn was taken.”

* * *

 

“How long has she been gone?” Tony asked as they hurried through the halls.   
“The room was freezing – my guess is that the window was open all night.” Bucky replied.   
“Shit.”

The two men dashed down the corridor, with Steve and Wanda in close pursuit. Bucky had practically broken down his friend’s door to report Thorn’s absence and Tony, whose room was nearby, came to complain about the noise.   
“In that case” Cap said, “we don’t have long.” Bucky looked over his shoulder at Steve who shook his head quickly.   
“Relax, Buck. She’ll be fine.”   
“But what if they kill her?”   
“Actually, they can’t.” Tony pointed out, drawing Bucky’s focus. “Not if they want it to work. The microchip, regardless of any tweaks they make, is still programmed to her brain. They’ll need her alive for it to be of use to them.” It was an attempt to quell the Winter Soldier’s fears but it did little good. They turned into the main foyer which echoed his voice.   
“What if they don’t know to keep her alive?”   
“We wouldn’t be in this mess if they hadn’t done their homework.” Tony assured him. “Remind me to update the list of people who have access to my designs.”

Steve snorted and nudged Wanda gently, rolling his eyes melodramatically. She bit her lip to suppress a grin as the super soldier began to speak.   
“Perhaps if you stopped bragging so often then-” A crack of lightning in the middle of the foyer cut off his words and sent the group stumbling backwards. Steve threw himself across Wanda to shield her from the flying debris and Bucky simply raised his metal arm to shield his eyes. Tony took the worst of it, having been storming ahead, and fell to the floor, coughing and spluttering. Two large hands lifted him to his feet, accompanied by a thunderous voice.   
“My apologies, Stark.” Thor said, dusting off the disgruntled billionaire.

“Thor!” Steve cried out with a grin. “Talk about dramatic entrances.”   
“I did not mean to alarm you.” He held out a hand to Steve which he shook.   
“Alarm isn’t the word…” Tony grumbled, eyeing the damage that he would likely have to pay for.   
“Ignore him. What are you doing here?”   
“Heimdall alerted me to the danger you faced. Something to do with a woman who…” Thor’s eyes fell upon Wanda who had, until then, hidden behind Steve. His words trailed off.

“I don’t suppose you’re her, are you?” Thor asked with a smile. He held his hand out to her instead and she took it, only to see the God bend over and place a gentle kiss on her knuckles.   
“No, but she’s my friend.” Wanda said, pink speckling her cheeks.   
“Then I would only be happier to assist.” He looked up at her from where he was bowing and winked. Steve cleared his throat and stepped between them.

“So you’re here to help then?” He asked.   
“Your people are still under my protection. I will honour that vow in any way I can.”   
“Great.” Steve looked around as Natasha, Fury, and Maria all emerged into the hall, Thor’s entrance no doubt having woken them. “Avengers, suit up! We have a job to do.” He ordered and everyone sprang into action.

Bucky stood still and wrung his hands.   
“That means you too, Buck.” Steve grinned. His friend looked up with eyes wide and shimmering. With a nod, he quickly retreated in search of the armoury. Wanda, however, remained behind.   
“Steve.” She whispered and he turned to face her. “Is it wise letting Barnes go? You’ve seen how much he… cares for her. What happens if he gets distracted or-”  
“Relax.” He chuckled, placing his hands on her shoulders. “I trust him, and I’ve seen him fight. He’ll be fine.” With a reluctant sigh, Wanda turned around and went to change. The only thing left to do was find transport to the helicarrier but Steve waited and watched Wanda leave, a small smile on his face, before moving.

“So who are we fighting?” Thor asked as he awaited the rest of the team to board the quinjet. Fury had managed to recover a plane on the condition that he was the one to fly it. So naturally Natasha was in the pilot’s seat. Fury was the co-pilot’s just in case things went awry. Steve and Tony were in the cabin.   
“HYDRA. I had to deal with them back in the day and it turns out I didn’t do it as well as I would have liked. They took over SHIELD a few months ago and this is the last remaining subdivision.”   
“I see. Is there a ringleader? A ruler?”

“Some guy we met once. You’ll know him by the glasses and the cane.” Steve explained.   
“Christ, why is it always some guy with a stick that has a problem with us?” Tony muttered. “First Loki, now this guy.”   
“Ultron didn’t have a stick.” Steve pointed out.   
“He had one up his butt.”   
“When did you put a stick up his butt?” Thor exclaimed.   
“Note to self: Teach Thor about metaphors.”

Wanda and Bucky could be seen approaching the cockpit so Nat fired up the engine.   
“She will be okay.” Wanda assured him as they clambered inside.   
“I know…” He sighed, strapping himself in. Fury looked over his shoulder and frowned.   
“Where’s Hill?” He shouted, his voice muffled by the engines. Their coms systems were the only reason that he could be heard at all. Wanda and Bucky shared a glance.   
“She, uh, wanted to stay behind. She’s in the infirmary.” The latter explained. Fury barked a laugh.   
“Well, I’ll be damned.”

Once they were safely in the air, Cap clapped his hands together.   
“So here’s what’s going to happen.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers suit up and Thorn learns what HYDRA has been planning all this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearly at the end my darlings!

Emma Phelps opened her eyes to a throbbing in her temple. She could feel something running down her cheek and stuck her tongue out. It was warm and metallic – blood. She was bleeding. Looking around, she realised 3 other things. She was cold, she was alone, and she was scared.

Thorn shook her head and tried to come back to her senses. She wasn’t scared. How could a STAR agent be scared? Examining her surroundings, she began to search for an escape. The room was black and grey and smelled distinctly of toilet cleaner. Slowly, she lifted herself up and leant against the wall. Whatever had caused the pain in her head had made it incredibly difficult to stand too. It was most likely a blow to the head, which would also explain why she had been unconscious in the first place.

Before Thorn could make any decisions, the door to the room opened. She hadn’t realised there was even a door present until the wall appeared to slide open. It revealed a man with large, aviator glasses and a thin layer of hair that had been swept over his head. A bejewelled cane helped him hobble towards her.   
“Miss Thorn.” He greeted her.   
“I’m rather afraid your name escapes me.” She quipped back.

“Of course, how rude of me. My name is Ernest Whitewater.”   
“Well, Mr Whitewater, would you mind telling me what the fuck is going?”   
“Such language!” He tutted, waggling a finger at her. “But I suppose it is to be expected. I must apologise for how crudely you were taken.”   
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t accept your apology straight away.” She growled.

Ernest Whitewater grinned and took a step towards her.   
“Please Miss Thorn. We only require one thing from you.”   
“Oh I know exactly what you _require_ from me.” She hissed.   
“Excellent! Then we are on the same page.”   
“Not quite.” She uttered, venom dripping from every word. “What the _fuck_ is going on?”

The balding man sighed and leaned on his cane more obviously.   
“I would have thought you of all people would know that.” Thorn shook her head but never took her eyes off of the man. He had left the door wide open and if she could keep him talking, she might be able to make an escape.   
“You must remember what they did to you. Tell me, how did you come about those scars on your arm?” He said, pointing a ragged finger towards her. A few liver spots were visible on the top of his hand. Thorn looked down at her arm and saw the sickening reminder of her time in HYDRA’s grasp. The wounds were browning but the spirals were still visible.   
“They… They tell me I was tortured.” She mumbled.

“Yes. Quite brutally so, I’m afraid. And then what?”   
“Then I became… a monster. You made me a monster.” She growled. Ernest Whitewater raised his eyebrows, a mixture of shock and offense on his face.   
“ _I_ did no such thing. Unless you count the invention of the program that improved you.” He leered. Thorn’s brow lowered but her eyes remained wide. This man spoke no sense!

“Miss Thorn, have you ever heard of something called subliminal stimuli?”   
“It doesn’t sound familiar.”   
“It should – or maybe it shouldn’t. It’s difficult to gauge. Excuse me, I’m rambling.” He waved a hand airily and chuckled. His laugh sounded like nails on a chalkboard.   
“Subliminal stimuli or a subliminal message, as you might know it, is a message presented below the threshold for conscious perception. In layman’s terms, a hidden message. Like flashing an advert for less than a second during a documentary – the person will not have recognised seeing it but their subconscious will hve. Is this making sense so far Miss Thorn?”

She nodded. Her eyes flickered to the door but her interest for the time being had been piqued. He was beginning to explain what they were planning; she was sure of it. Despite her interest in what he was saying, Thorn began to slowly step forward towards him.   
“Subliminal stimuli are only effective if the desired action was something that the target was going to do already. I’m sure you can see already where I am going with this – I shall not insult your intelligence by explaining it unduly.   
                “You see, I developed a video, a presentation if you will, that contains the subliminal message of the benefits and goals of HYDRA. Doctor Arnim Zola developed an algorithm that evaluates people’s past. It uses that information to show us three types of people: those who will join HYDRA, those who might join HYDRA, and those who would not. We shall utilise that algorithm to persuade those sitting on the fence to join our ranks, pitting 2/3 of the population against the remainder. Initially we were going to simply project my little production across the world’s media outlets – TV, radio, laptops, etc – but when Stark so kindly developed the little microchip in your hand, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity!”

“It’ll never work.” Thorn laughed. The idea sounded so farfetched and yet so frighteningly plausible that she was beginning to feel sick.   
“Ah, well that is where you are wrong I’m afraid. Because you see it already has.” Thorn blinked and Ernest Whitewater looked down at his feet, smirking slightly.   
“Miss Thorn, though you don’t remember it, you were our first test subject.”   
“But I would never join HYDRA! And you said that the target-”  
“Apparently your involvement with SHIELD was enough. You had killed before and would kill again, whether under our rule or theirs.” The man snapped. His face was twisted with a wicked glee that made his eyes shimmer, even in the darkened room. “What you fail to realise Miss Thorn is that this has worked before and it will work again. You are powerless to stop it, my dear, you need only accept that it is happening.”

Thorn kicked the cane and watched as Ernest Whitewater toppled to the ground alongside it. He grunted as he hit the ground but she was too far gone to hear it, scurrying out of the door and scrambling to stay upright as she ran. She turned the corner and hit the chest of an anonymous agent. The man grabbed her arm but Thorn was too fast, kneeing him between the legs and carrying on her way.

However the pain in her head soon became too much. After turning another corner, she collapsed to the floor and clutched her spinning head. Immediately afterwards, two pairs of hands grabbed her arms and lifted her up. She kicked and thrashed violently but it was no use. Emma Phelps was cold, and alone.

Emma Phelps was terrified.

* * *

 

“When we get on that helicarrier, we don’t have long.” Steve said as the quinjet flew over the city. “The minute we arrive, they’ll take countermeasures – that might include starting to broadcast. Whatever that might be, we have to find that microchip and remove it before they start transmitting.”  
“And find Thorn.” Bucky interjected. Steve seemed hesitant to agree.   
“Yes, and find Thorn.”

“Once the broadcast has been stopped, we turn that bastard around and land it at JFK. They have facilities, weaponry, and important information on there so the sooner it’s on the ground, the quicker we can call this whole thing a success. Currently, the helicarrier is above the safe house where Thorn had been staying. If that thing crashes in such a populated area, we’re in for a world of hurt so Stark, I want you on the ground clearing civilians out of the way just in case. I want a perimeter of 3 blocks cleared – if you can handle more then clear more. When Fury and Nat have got us on the bird, they’ll relieve you. In the meantime, the rest of us are going to start making our way through. Wanda and I will remain on top deck but Thor, you and Bucky are to go inside and head for the cockpit.”

“Find Thorn and stop the broadcast however you can. Whatever they’re planning to send out, you don’t let it, you hear?” Bucky and Thor nodded simultaneously. “Stick together, and give ‘em hell.” Steve concluded before Nat leant over her shoulder and shouted:   
“Coming up on the carrier now.”

She flicked a switch and let Tony speed away towards the ground.   
“Hold on, this is gonna get bumpy.” Nat called out as the helicarrier’s weapons opened fire.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky rescues Thorn and, with the help of Thor, attempts to halt HYDRA's plans. Ernest Whitewater has other ideas.

Bucky’s boot made short work of the wooden door. He and Thor had left Steve and Wanda on the top deck taking out multiple HYDRA guards, and had quickly battled their own way to the lower floors. Upon entering the room, Bucky’s eyes gazed upon a nauseating sight. A dim green light filled the room, revealing Thorn who was strapped to a metal table using leather fastenings. Her skin was drenched in sweat and her face was red – the metal hand attached to her right arm had been ripped apart messily and the microchip removed. There was no telling how long she’d been left in this state but it didn’t look good.

Pulling a small knife from his pocket, Bucky sawed away at the leather straps. Thorn seemed to notice the minute she felt the pressure loosening on her limbs.   
“It’s alright, Emma, I’ve got you.” Bucky said warmly as her eyes turned to him.   
“The microchip…” She murmured.   
“I know, I know. We’re working on it.” He attempted to lift her into his arms but she swatted his hands away, slowly sitting up on her own. The strength she possessed was something Bucky would never comprehend. As she slid from the table, she stumbled slightly and was forced to lean on him for balance.

“Where is the cockpit?” Thor asked, peering out of the doorway and looking both ways. Thorn pointed and so he sped off.   
“Are you going to be alright?” Bucky asked, watching as she slowly built up the strength to walk on her own. Her metal hand hung limply at her side, the removal of the microchip leaving it useless.   
“What’s the alternative?” She chuckled as they ambled down the corridor.   
“Well, the quinjet’s on the ground so the alternative is waiting with Steve…” He mumbled.   
“I think I’d feel safer with you.” Bucky looked up. “Besides, we don’t have time to be running around. They’ll start the broadcast soon.”

As they walked, Thorn was able to pick up more and more speed, the adrenaline of the situation having helped her to ignore the pains of her hand. She simultaneously explained HYDRA’s plan for the broadcast. Thor was waiting for them at the door to the cockpit, Mjolnir primed and ready. The minute they kicked down the entrance, all hell broke loose. Bucky fired multiple shots around the room before running out of ammunition, forcing Thor to take up the fighting alone whilst he reloaded.

“Hold your fire!” A voice shouted above the ruckus. Immediately the HYDRA agents receded, a look of terrified submission etched onto their features. Thor’s attacks subsided too, out of some misguided sense of respect. Whilst the trio awaited the owner of the voice, Thorn elbowed Bucky and pointed to the podium in the centre of the room. Protruding from the centre was a bejewelled cane.

Ernest Whitewater stepped up onto the platform with great difficulty and leaned against the cane. His other fist was closed, concealing something small though it didn’t take a genius to figure out what. Neither of them moved, not wanting to force his hand.   
“Miss Thorn. How glad I am to see you up and about.” He glowered. Thorn watched him with darkened eyes.   
“Who are you?” Bucky demanded and Whitewater chuckled.

“What are names on a day like today?”   
“What is today?” Thor asked.   
“Today, my dear boy, is the beginning of a new age!”

The microchip slid into the top of the cane and disappeared from view as quickly as it was inserted. The cockpit then began to shudder as the helicarrier turned violently around.   
“It has begun!” Ernest shrieked, eyeing Thorn with twisted delight. She pulled a gun from Bucky’s holster and shot him twice. His body writhed where he stood before crumpling.   
“Fucking prick.” She mumbled before tossing the gun aside.

However, something else had caught her attention. Bucky was stumbling backwards and tugging violently at his own hair, groaning at the same time. Thor was busy taking out the remaining HYDRA agents so she was left to deal with him alone.   
“Barnes?” He said nothing, dropping to his knees and grumbling. “Barnes! Talk to me.” She insisted, lowering herself next to him and brushing his hair aside.

Bucky’s eyes were clamped shut when he moaned something incomprehensible.   
“What? James, what is it?”

“Get… away…”

Before Thorn could react, the Winter Soldier was upon her, pinning her flat against the ground and holding a hand over her throat. She scratched at the limb in an attempt to pry it from her airway but to no avail. Using his other hand, he pulled a knife from its sheath and raised it. Mjolnir flew across Thorn’s vision, flinging Bucky into the distance. Spluttering and coughing, Thorn crawled away and came to a horrifying realisation.

 _The broadcast…_ It was reverting Bucky back to the Winter Soldier. Thorn scrambled for the cane and used it to hoist herself up. Thor intercepted Bucky and wrestled him to ground as she did so. There was no way that he could keep the Winter Soldier at bay for long – God or not. She examined the tip of the cane but the microchip had disappeared down the length of the pole. Holding the top, Thorn kicked the shaft with all of the strength she could muster. It did nothing so she kicked again. And again, and again.

Eventually the structure weakened and the top of the cane snapped off into her hands. She looked around but Bucky continued to attack. Thor was only just defending himself in time. He may have had strength but Bucky had an unmatchable speed.   
“Shit.” She muttered aloud.   
“You can’t… stop it.” A groan came. Looking over, Ernest Whitewater lay sprawled on the ground with two bleeding gunshot wounds. _My aim is getting sloppy_ , Thorn mused as she limped over to him. She pushed the broke splinter of the cane into his neck and delighted in his cries of anguish.

“Tell me how to shut it down.” She spat but Ernest began to grin a bloody smile.   
“You would have made an excellent HYDRA agent.”   
“Tell me!” She all but screamed. Blood trickled from his throat where the fractured edge of the pole penetrated it.   
“You cannot stop it. The process has begun and the broadcast will soon reach the civilians. HYDRA can only grow, starting with your friend over th-” Thorn sent the pole cascading against Ernest’s face and created a large gash on it.   
“How do I stop it?”   
“Stupid girl, you can’t! The transmission field will only grow and even if the cane is broken the microchip is still functioning. You cannot save them. You can only submit.”

Thorn plunged the pointed end of the cane through his chest and watched his body still. _You would have made an excellent HYDRA agent,_ the words rang out in her head. So long as the microchip was active, the broadcast would continue and HYDRA would gain more and more control over the population. The sounds of Thor’s battle with Bucky soon became too much of a distraction – she couldn’t think straight, she didn’t know what to do. How could she stop this?

Thor was given a brief moment of opportunity and used it to summon Mjolnir. He quickly bashed it against Bucky’s head and sent him to the ground, unconscious. The realisation hit Thorn shortly after.   
“Miss Thorn.” Thor asked, leaving Mjolnir on Bucky’s chest for precaution. “What do you propose?” She advanced to Bucky’s side and pulled the coms unit out of his ear before placing it in her own. Steve could faintly be heard talking to Wanda.   
“Get Ja- I mean, Barnes back up to top deck.” She ordered. “Contact the quinjet and tell them that the broadcast has started. Then get off of this ship.”   
“And what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to turn off the weapons system so that Miss Romanoff can land the plane. I’ll follow you after.” She stated, turning around. After she was satisfied that Thor had left, Thorn seated herself in front of the helicarrier controls and began pushing random buttons. She had never been particularly tech-savvy and prayed beyond belief that one of these controls would disable the defence systems.

Unfortunately, the computer had other ideas. After a few minutes of navigating the software unsuccessfully, a female voice chimed:   
“ _Intruder detected. Contingency autopilot activated._ ” And the nose of the helicarrier began to veer downwards.   
“Thorn? Thorn!” Came Steve’s voice over the coms system but Thorn wasn’t listening. Her eyes flickered to the gun that she had tossed aside earlier but her focus was captured by the sight of the clouds in front of her. They were parting to reveal the city below. The joystick shuddered in her grasp but it allowed her to navigate left and right. She couldn’t pull the vehicle up but she could fly it away. With a little effort, she was able to turn it towards the Hudson River which was just in view. This wouldn’t be as quick as the gun, but it could still work.

“Hey Cap.” Thorn said, finally allowing her to answer the calls of her teammate.   
“Thorn, what are you doing?”   
“The computer wants to crash the ship but I’m steering it towards the river.” She smiled, despite knowing no-one could see her.   
“Okay fine. Now you’ve done that, get up here and get on the jet.”

“Actually Cap, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”   
“What?”   
“It’s on autopilot. If I let go, this thing heads straight back for the city.” Silence. So she continued.   
“Do me a favour though-”  
“Thorn?”   
“When Bucky wakes up-”   
“Thorn, just stop and think.”  
“Tell him to get a bloody haircut.” She laughed, wiping away a small tear. Cap continued to protest, claiming there was another way, that they could get Stark on board to override the command but Thorn had other plans. She pulled the earpiece out and tossed it aside.

Tony’s face was solemn as he listened to the ensuing conversation. The quinjet hovered above the helicarrier as it sunk lower and lower to the ground.   
“What the hell is she doing?” Steve growled when he got no response. Tony sighed.   
“Unfortunately, I think I know.”

Everyone turned to him, except Bucky who was still passed out on the floor. Stark turned to Natasha and gave her a thumbs up. She pulled the plane up into the air and abandoned the falling craft as it swerved towards the choppy waters.   
“The microchip is in the transmitter and will continue to broadcast no matter what. Even if that helicarrier crashes, there’s no guarantee that it’ll stop. There’s only one way to stop that thing and it’s the reason that they kept her strapped to that table. The microchip only works so long as Thorn is alive.”

Bucky’s eyes snapped open as a tumultuous rumbling sound reached his ears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. That just happened.   
> We're about 2 chapters away from the end so let's see how this plays out...


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky deals with the loss of Thorn and the Avengers don't know how to react.

“Where is Thorn?” Bucky asked. Tony looked anxiously at Steve who sighed and dropped his head. Wanda took the blonde’s hand and gently squeezed it but he couldn’t face her or his friend. The Winter Soldier looked around and waited for an answer, or a sign; some indication that his worst fears weren’t being realised. Gradually, he lifted himself to the nearest window and peered out.

In the distance, the tail of the helicarrier could be seen sinking into the water. His mind’s eye revealed images of water gushing through the corridors, breaking through the windows, and filling every inch of breathable air. Sparks flashing as the water met cables and computers, and the control room he had just left being gradually filled like a bowl in a sink. Tony watched their comrade carefully and Nat was frequently looking over her shoulder. Cap knew exactly what they were expecting – they were all on their guard, expecting Bucky to lose his mind, to go berserk.

Instead, he lifted his hand and pressed it against the window, his fingertips sliding down the glass parallel to the craft. His head sunk and Steve thought that he heard a gentle sniff. Bucky left the window and took a seat in the furthest corner of the room, pulling his legs up to his chest. He stared forward – unseeing, disbelieving. Steve left Wanda’s side to sit adjacent to him. He placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder and shook it in the calmest gesture of sympathy he could manage. Bucky remained quiet. Natasha glanced over her shoulder once more and saw the man’s state of mourning. She adjusted their course promptly and the quinjet swerved.

The weather was too cold and the water too rough for anyone to be on the beach so when the quinjet’s wheels hit the sand and the team of heroes exited the craft, there was nobody there to notice. Bucky was the first to walk onto the beach, nearing the water’s edge and falling to his knees beside it. He stayed there for some time, watching the helicarrier plunge into the icy depths. In the time it had taken them to land, the local coastguard surrounded the craft in small orange boats, like a fleet of brightly coloured ducks. A voice could be heard shouting something though the words were faint and unfathomable. One of the boats separated from the herd.  

Even from a distance Bucky could see what one of the coastguard’s was carrying something… or someone. Thorn was wrapped in a large orange coat, the man holding her looking significantly bare without it. But Bucky didn’t smile. He couldn’t. There was no longer any hope of Thorn being alive because the broadcast would be working were she not. He was walking proof of that, though heaven knows he would have sacrificed his sanity and freedom just to see her heart beat again.

The boat hit the sand gently.  
“You guys are the Avengers, right?” One of the men said. The jacketless coastguard began to heave Thorn’s still form up and over the edge of the boat.  
“Near enough.” Steve responded, helping them to lift her.  
“You know her?” The man continued, though the delicate way in which Steve accepted her body was telling enough.

“We used to.”

There was a moment’s pause as Steve carried Thorn to Bucky’s side. His gaze hadn’t left the wreckage and he didn’t acknowledge his friend, even when he kneeled next to him.  
“We found her floating alongside that thing. I don’t suppose there’s anyone else you want us to look out for?” Steve was so focused on the motionless Bucky that Wanda took it upon herself to answer. She gave a grateful but dismissive nod.  
“I’m sorry folks.” The coastguard said before joining his crew on the orange boat and sailing back towards the carrier.

“Bucky…” Steve whispered. He still didn’t move. The coastal wind had picked up and brushed the thinner strands of hair out of Bucky’s face so that Cap just caught the shine of a tear rolling down his cheek. Then his head turned. It only moved a fraction, you wouldn’t have known unless you were as close as Steve was in that moment, but he moved. Then his eyes followed, seeing Thorn’s cold body and letting out a whimper. Then he howled, like a wild animal.

Lowering himself completely to the ground, he placed his arms under her corpse and pulled it into his lap. Steve stood shortly after and stepped back, giving him a moment to mourn – it was taking all of his strength to resist hugging his friend. Bucky held Thorn’s face in his hands and it was practically glacial. He closed his eyes to stop the tears from gushing out but it was too little too late. His eyes became waterfalls. The harder he tried to hide them – gritting his teeth, clamping his eyes shut – the faster they streamed. Bucky leaned in and placed his forehead against hers, holding back another sob.

“Emma…” He whispered. From this close, he could see the golden roots of her hair standing out against the crimson. The drenched wisps of hair clung to her face and, with a gentle finger, he brushed them aside to caress her face once more. The other Avengers watched on solemnly. They observed the way he held her and felt their insides churn. Wanda, in particular, had lost a new and dear friend; she had lost someone else that she loved. Steve intertwined his fingers with hers and she turned to look at him. He was watching Bucky with pity and compassion in his eyes, and she realised how helpless he must have felt. Tightening her grip on his hand, she leaned against his shoulder.

“Emma, I’m so sorry.” Bucky whimpered. “This is all my fault. I never should have left you alone, I never should have dragged you into all this. If I had just paid more attention or- or- or taken you somewhere safer, this never would have happened to you. But now you’re gone and there’s nothing I can do about it.  

“And do you know the worst thing?” He said, pulling a quivering hand from her face to wipe away a tear. “The worst thing is that I’m feeling sorry for _myself_. Because I made a mistake and it cost you your life. Because I’ll have to live my life without you and I don’t think that’s something I can do. I’ve lived so many lives, Emma, and I felt so broken, but none of that mattered when I met you. You just seemed to power through everything, fixing things and being stronger than I ever could be. I’m not sure I can live without you… because…” He sighed and pressed his forehead against hers once more.

“Because, I lo-” Thorn spluttered and water gushed from her mouth as she coughed and heaved, falling out of Bucky’s arms as a result. The Avengers all looked up at the sound, seeing the surprise on Bucky’s face as a previously dead woman wretched back to life. Thorn gagged a few more times and water spilled free of her lungs onto the sand. She then collapsed and Bucky hurried to roll her over. He pressed his ear against her chest.

1, 2, 3, 4 heartbeats, and counting. She was alive! Wanda was grinning ear to ear and let out an ecstatic laugh, punctuated by deep, quick breaths.  
“She’s alive!” Bucky proclaimed and Natasha snapped into gear.  
“Get her on board. We won’t have long.”

* * *

 

A gentle beeping could be heard in the distance. It was muffled and fuzzy but it was audible. It got gradually louder and louder until Thorn wanted to get up and turn it off. Yet, try as she might, she couldn’t bring herself to move.

The world was black and empty and every part of her felt stiff. With a great amount of difficulty, she was able to pry her eyelids apart. _That_ was a mistake. The world wasn’t black but instead a brilliant white that forced its way into her irises and threatened to blind her. With a groan she turned to the side and opened her eyes again. This time the light was more manageable and she was able to keep her eyes open long enough to take in the scene before her.

Bucky was sat on the chair to the right of her bed. His eyes were closed and judging by the measured rising and falling of his chest, he was sleeping soundly. His chin was low and gave his lips an adorable pout as he snoozed in the chair. Somebody had draped a blanket over him but it did little to hide the ruched and ruffled clothing he wore; finally something more modern.    
“He’s been sat there for days.” Someone said. Moving her head again, Thorn’s eyes fell upon Wanda who was sat cross-legged at the end of the bed.

“Why… why would he do that?”  
“God, you’re stupid when you want to be.” She chuckled. Thorn stretched out a foot under the bedsheets and gave her a gentle kick.  
“Your hand is fixed by the way.” Wanda pointed out with a smile. Looking down, her hand had indeed been patched up. She waggled her fingers in front of her face to test them out and then let them rest on her stomach.

“Why am I not dead?” She asked blatantly.  
“You know, most people would be grateful for that.”  
“Wanda…”  
“I know, I know.” The brunette waved her hands dismissively. “Stark had a few ideas but the one we settled on was that you being unconscious was about as good as you being dead. It paused the transmission long enough for us to get you out of there and come up with an alternate solution.”

“Which was?”  
“Tony went into the wreckage and found the old microchip. Somebody had stabbed that guy with his own cane so it wasn’t difficult to locate once he got in. Anyway, they destroyed that one and wired your brain up to a new one, breaking the connection and stopping the transmission completely. I kept you unconscious in here until he’d done all that to be sure that the broadcast didn’t start up again.”

“That’s… That’s brilliant.” Thorn said, feeling her stomach twist.  
“Much better than crashing a helicarrier, don’t you think?”  
“Shut up.” Thorn laughed. She kicked Wanda gently again. Her laugh had been enough to stir Bucky, causing him to grunt and shuffle. With a sneaky grin, Wanda unfurled her legs and clambered off of the bed.  
“I’ll leave you two alone.” She said.  
“What are you on about?” Thorn called out, her voice a loud whisper, but Wanda was purposefully ignoring her question. She skipped nimbly out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Bucky’s eyes fluttered open.  
“Emma!” He said with the voice of someone who had recently woken up. Pushing the blanket to the ground, he hurried up and knelt by the bedside, taking her hand in his own.  
“You know the last time I woke up in a hospital with a new hand, you were on the other side of that glass.”  
“I know, I know, but I promise I’ll never leave you again. Never.”

“What are you yammering on about?” Thorn chuckled. Bucky looked down, a little too seriously for her liking, and took a deep breath. He then shuffled a little closer.  
“Alright, here goes.” Thorn raised her eyebrows. _What was he doing?_  
“The last time I tried to tell you this, I thought you were dead. And the time before that, you’d been kidnapped. To say I’ve practiced it in my head a few times would be an understatement.”  
“Practiced what? What are you talking about?” Thorn asked, trying to sit up.  
“Just shut up and listen for once, alright?” He grinned and Thorn was taken aback. After a minute she pursed her lips and let them form a thin, bashful smile.  
“Alright.”

“The last few months of my life have been absolutely horrid – and I’m pretty sure that it’s entirely your fault. But I’m also very much assured of the fact that I wouldn’t have survived it without you in my life.” He said, with a very sad but hopeful smile on his face as he looked up at her. Thorn wiped away a small tear and returned the gesture.  
“No, don’t cry yet. You’re not supposed to cry yet, I haven’t finished.”  
“Sorry, sorry…” She giggled, sniffing and shaking her head gently.

“I’ll cut it short.” He said deeply, taking her head in his hands. “Emma Phelps, I cannot say that I’ve loved you from the minute I met you because on that day, I thought you were a psychopath who was going to have my head on a platter.” Thorn laughed, and snuffled again.  
“All I can say is that I have loved you for a long time and I will love you for a long time to come, and if you felt the same as me…” He took a shaky breath and looked down again.

“Well, that’d be just swell.”  
“Swell?” Thorn laughed breathily and bit her lip.  
“Do people not say swell anymore?”  
“Not in this decade.”

They both grinned nervously and Thorn placed her hand over his. He looked up at her with wide eyes.  
“I had no idea…” She whispered.  
“I figured as much. You’re not exactly what I’d describe as a people person.”  
“Shut up.” She pushed at his shoulders gently and he lowered his hands with a throaty chuckle.

“I love you, Emma. Please tell me I’m not crazy.” He said, keeping his eyes low. Thorn paused before answering.  
“You’re definitely crazy. I mean, there’s so much that could go wrong and it’s so risky – not to mention dangerous!”  
“Yeah… You’re right…” He grumbled. As he leaned away from the bed, he felt his hand tangle up in something that forced him to stop. He noticed that Thorn had looped her fingers with his.  
“But I’ve been playing it safe for most of my life. I’m willing to risk it if you are.”

* * *

 

Tony walked alongside Sam and Maria as they made their way down the corridor at a leisurely pace.  
“So you two are an item, I see.” He remarked, eyeing the way that Maria helped Sam. The latter was on crutches but after hearing what had happened on the helicarrier, he’d insisted on visiting. The infirmary wasn’t too far away from his quarters so Maria had allowed him to make the trip with her assistance.

“She couldn’t resist my charm.” Sam said as he hobbled along. Maria rolled her eyes when Tony barked a laugh. They turned a corner to see Steve and Wanda standing by the window to the room, looking inside. Steve beamed when he saw Sam up and about again.  
“Looking good, soldier.”  
“Feeling good.”  
“Glad to hear it.” He said, resisting the urge to give his friend a hearty slap on the back.

“Well, I’m afraid Thorn’s not taking any visitors currently.” He explained afterwards with a sigh. When his statement was met with looks of confusion, he pointed to the window and everyone peered through.  
“I’ll be damned.” Tony muttered with a smirk.

Bucky lay on the bed next to Thorn. Her head was resting on his chest and she’d wrapped her arms around him as best she could without getting tangled up in wires and IV lines. He held her body against him by the lower back and would have likely used his other free hand to stroke her head – if they hadn’t both fallen asleep.  
“Come on, let’s give ‘em some privacy.” Cap smiled before herding the team away from the window.  
“Why? What else do you think they’ll be doing in there?”  
“Ignore him. He’s had a lot of painkillers.” Maria apologised on Sam’s behalf. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tempted to do another chapter just as a "where are they now" sort of thing...


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to the Avengers after the conclusion to our story.

Bucky knocked on the door and waited, tugging at the tie around his neck in the meantime. When she didn’t respond, he poked his head around the door to Emma’s room.   
“You in here, Em?”   
“Yeah, sorry, I’m just finishing up.” Her voice replied from the bathroom. Bucky stepped inside fully and dusted down his shirt. He didn’t often dress formally but he was making an effort tonight. The tuxedo fit him nicely but the stiff fabric was uncomfortable. Aside from the crisp, snow-white shirt, his clothing was midnight black to match the hair that had been scraped back into a messy bun. Emma was constantly reminding him to get a haircut but he never would – he loved the feeling of her fingers running through it too much, though he’d never tell her.

“How long do you think you’ll be?” He called out after the 5th minute had ticked past.   
“Get off my back, you know this isn’t my scene.”   
“Then why do you care how you look?” He quipped with a smirk. Bucky folded his arms knowingly when she didn’t immediately respond.   
“Oh… shut up.” She said, unable to hide the amusement in her voice. “I’d just rather not go to be honest with you.”

“We can’t just not turn up to your birthday party.” Bucky laughed.   
“Yes, we can.”   
“Alright, let me phrase that a little differently. We can’t just not turn up to your birthday party when it’s being hosted by Tony Stark.” He heard Emma laugh heartily.   
“Remind me again why we agreed to that.”   
“To put it simply, we didn’t.” Emma laughed again and Bucky turned to face the ceiling.

However, his attention was drawn again when he heard the bathroom door opening. He lowered his gaze and his eyes fell upon Emma who stood anxiously in the doorway. She was still a little self-conscious about her appearance after the addition of scars and a prosthetic hand but in that very moment, Bucky could see her as nothing more than perfect.

A familiar blue dress with a white collar and cuffs hugged her figure beautifully and was complimented by the victory curls that her hair had been delicately styled into. Her make-up was subtle and dark but made her grey eyes pop. She look stunning – and nobody knew it better than James Buchanan Barnes.

“Holy…” He shook his head and gently laughed. “Emma, you look…”   
“Thanks.” She said, looking down at her feet and smiling bashfully. It only added to the adoration Bucky was swelling with. He stepped towards her and picked up a few locks of her hair.   
“Who did you hair?” She giggled and swatted his hand away.   
“I did, obviously.”

“No, you didn’t. I know you, Emma. Who did your hair?” He smiled.   
“I’m not at liberty to say.”   
“Oh, come on…”   
“He didn’t want me to-”  
“He?” Bucky paused and thought. “No way…” Emma saw the cogs whirring in his head and knew that he’d figured it out. He seemed to be the only person she was incapable of lying to.

“He left about an hour ago, didn’t want you to know.” She snickered. Bucky was beyond help as he pressed his forehead against hers and tried to control his laughter.   
“Oh, _that_ is some very handy information.”  
“You can’t tell him or he’ll know I blabbed!” She said, stroking his cheek.

Steve and Bucky had spent the last few weeks rekindling their friendship and the latter’s memories. The process had been slow and arduous but it was working. Though Bucky would never be the same person that he once was, Steve was content with knowing that he was remembering things which meant a lot to him – from the rollercoaster on Coney Island to their old schoolyard antics. And every day, when Bucky had finished training and learning about his past, he would return to Emma’s side.

Bucky still had his forehead against her forehead and he took a deep, ragged breath. Slowly, he placed his hands on her neck and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. Her hands gripped his jacket, holding him against her.   
“You know,” he breathed, “we don’t _have_ to go to the party.”   
“Yes, we do.”   
“Alright, but we could go late.” He said, brushing his lips over hers.

Emma laughed and pressed her hands against his shoulders.   
“Stop it, you know we can’t.” She laughed. Bucky snaked his arms around her waist and planted a kiss flush onto her mouth, her hands snaking around his neck.   
“When we get back…” He smiled, lowering his lips. Emma shuddered a little as his breath ghosted her neck.   
“We don’t have to stay long, right?”

* * *

 

The room cheered when Emma and Bucky walked into the room. A variety of banners had been stuck up in vibrant pinks and blues depicting various celebratory phrases. Maria Hill stepped out from a nearby crowd and approached Thorn, pulling her into a brief hug. She was afterwards mirrored by various other people, some Emma recognised and others she didn’t but who were too intoxicated to care. A party was a party – no matter who it was for.

The event stretched on for hours and people gradually began to filter out leaving the team of supers behind. Thor and Tony shared a loveseat, Maria had her legs stretched across Sam’s lap in another, and Steve, Bucky, Wanda and Emma sat in various spaces on the floor. Natasha Romanoff also accompanied them.   
“So what happens now then?” Emma asked after the beer bottle had been parted from her lips long enough for the alcohol to seep into her system. Bucky turned to her with a cocked head.   
“What do you mean?”   
“Well, is this what happens after you guys save the world? You just party and call it a day?”

Steve chuckled.   
“Not usually. Then we go back to training and stopping trouble.”   
“Wow,” she mused, lifting the beer bottle again, “that sounds dull.” Gentle laughter rumbled through the group.   
“As for me,” Thor said. “I will be returning to Asgard.”   
“And technically I still work for him so I’m stuck here.” Maria said, pointing a finger at a grinning Tony.

“Look like the Avengers is low on members.” Emma chuckled, leaning forward and placing her now empty bottle down. Her hair had become messier as the night had progressed but it still had a lovely shine to it that couldn’t help but be admired when the light hit it just right. She’d kicked off her heels and the blue dress ruffled a little as she sat back on the floor and crossed her legs.   
“And that’s where you two come in.” Steve then said.

Emma turned to Bucky and saw that he was also wearing the same expression of confusion that she was. Cap chuckled.   
“I told you they’d react like that.” Sam sung, though he promptly stopped when Maria pinched him playfully on the arm.   
“We want you on the team.” Steve reiterated before turning and looking Emma in the eye. “ _Both_ of you.”

“But… I’m just…”   
“You’re not ‘just’ anything.” Wanda snapped. “Steve wouldn’t be making the offer if you weren’t absolutely right for the job.”   
“But I’m not a superhero! I don’t have powers or skills, or even a nom de guerre.” She said, looking to her friend with meaningful eyes.   
“Neither do I.” Natasha pointed out.   
“Nor me.” Bucky said. How was he so calm? Was he going to accept?

“But that’s not the point. You’re the _Black Widow_ and you’re _the Winter Soldier_. You’re infamous assassins, practically the next best thing. I’m just-”   
“It seems like the name thing’s really bothering her.” Sam joked and Maria turned to Tony.   
“You’re good at coming up with that stuff, right?” Tony shrugged and took a drink. Emma sighed.   
“Ignore them.” Steve said with a roll of his eyes. “Look, we wouldn’t ask you to do this if we didn’t think you could handle it. But it is up to you.”

A moment’s pause sunk in. Emma looked down at her hands which were balled up in her lap. One of them was blue. It was also metal. It shimmered under the superficial lights and seemed to reflect the stories in her eyes - her stories. From the bank where she had rescued Bucky the first time to the Helicarrier she had crashed trying to save him again. She had surpassed SHIELD, and STAR, and now…

The Avengers.

“Alright.” She mumbled as though her mouth was moving against her will. Steve burst into a smile.   
“Really?”   
“Well don’t act surprised now that I’ve agreed.” She laughed. “I’m going to need another drink though – it still hasn’t settled in.”   
“Absolutely.” From his seat, Bucky was smiling and when Steve stood so did he, though they went in separate directions – the latter to the bar and his friend to Emma. Bucky sat next to her and let his girlfriend lean back into his lap. He toyed with her hair.

“I’m an Avenger.” She whispered.   
“You and me both, kid.” He chuckled. Tony suddenly clapped his hands together and sat up.   
“I’ve got it and it’s brilliant.” He cried. Maria raised her eyebrows, somewhat unimpressed. “Okay so I’ve mashed up the name STAR gave her with the fact that she’s banging ol’ Season Boy here.” Tony said, ignoring the sound of Thor choking on his drink. Bucky growled.

“Autumn Thorn.”

Steve returned to the table with another beer for Emma but the attention had shifted in the room.   
“I hate to break up the party.” Fury said from where he was leaning in the doorway. Thorn sat up at the sound of his voice. All eyes were on him – he commanded the room the minute he walked into it. “But I’ve got something you’re going to want to see.” Everybody present began to look around at each other and Fury smirked.   
“Avengers?” He said, turning on his heel. Emma bit her lip and looked at Bucky. He took her hand and squeezed it.

“Assemble!”


End file.
